Million Lost Voices - Primary Years (5-11)
I CAN’s Primary Years programme will mean that children like Stephanie don’t struggle for years unnoticed and instead receive the support they need to make the best possible progress and enjoy school.
Stephanie’s Story
Stephanie was falling further and further behind until her fundamental problem with comprehension was addressed.
Nine year-old Stephanie had been in her local primary school where she hadn’t settled. She had real problems making friends and hated her lessons.
As a result, Stephanie hadn’t been to school for over a year. Her Mum would drive her to school and she would refuse to get out of the car. She tried another school but the same thing happened. Stephanie was depressed, anxious and withdrawn.
Eventually, a teacher recognised that Stephanie had real problems understanding what people were saying. This meant that she found it really hard to follow her lessons and to make friends.
Stephanie now has a teaching assistant who has been trained in supporting her speech and language difficulties.
Now Stephanie is getting the specially tailored help she needs to understand lessons she is beginning to blossom. She’s made some friends, and is doing particularly well in Maths and Science. Things are definitely looking up for her.
Children who start school with communication difficulties can make significant, lasting improvements with their speaking and understanding following an intensive period of speech and language therapy.
- In some socially disadvantaged parts of the UK, over 50% of children enter school with speech, language and communication needs.
- Almost all children with language or communication difficulties need extra support with some aspect of learning to read or write.
- Without help they will fall further and further behind, socially and academically, and their life chances will be very limited.
- Many children whose language difficulties are resolved by 5½ yrs go on to develop good reading and spelling skills and pass as many exams as other children.*
*All statements are supported by published studies. Please contact I CAN for full details.
To help primary school children with communication difficulties, our MILLION LOST VOICES APPEAL aims to raise £600,000. Projects will include:
1. Offer 750 children aged 5-7 with delayed communication skills intensive group and individual catch-up sessions over a ten week period.
This intensive catch-up programme will enable children to make significant progress, often catching up altogether with their peers.
2. Evaluate the results of this work and roll-out nationally to 10,000 schools by 2016.
Over 750,000 children aged 5-7 with delayed communication skills will benefit from 10 weeks of intensive support to enable them to catch up.
3. Develop and trial a language booster programme for 200 children aged 7 – 11 with communication difficulties and roll-out nationally alongside the programme for 5-7 year olds.
The project will have a direct impact on 200 children aged 7-11, improving their language skills and enable 80% to catch up altogether.