School Start

"School Start" is a practical resource that can be used with children who need additional help in developing communication skills during the first year of school. Teachers and teaching assistants first select children suitable for the programme through the checklists provided; set-up meetings then take place between the inclusion coordinator and school before the child is enrolled on the programme. Devised by two speech & language therapists experienced in working with teaching staff, the book consists of two 30-week programmes aimed at developing Language and Sound Awareness skills. Each six-week block has clearly written objectives that are linked to the National Curriculum Foundation Stage. Baseline and evaluation checklists are also provided to monitor each child's progress. "School Start" offers: an introduction on how to use the School Start programme; group sessions for the Language and Sound Awareness programmes; 70 photocopiable resource templates; programme delivery templates containing all the checklists, record sheets and handouts needed to carry out the programme; and, an accompanying CD-Rom giving the option to print out some of the resource templates in colour. Successfully trialled over a three-year period, "School Start" is an invaluable resource for teachers and teaching assistants that encourages good collaborative practice between schools, speech & language therapists, the school's inclusion coordinator and parents.