Jean Gross
As part of the 2008 Bercow Review the appointment of a Communication Champion and a National Year were key recommendations made in order to help improve services for children with speech, language and communication needs. Jean Gross was appointed Communication Champion in last October and has commissioned The Communication Trust (a consortium of organisations, of which the National Literacy Trust is a member) to help her deliver a year-long campaign to focus on developing children’s communications skills in 2011.
Why do we need to have this campaign?
Our ability to communicate is fundamental and underpins everything else – making friends, forming relationships and achieving at school. In the 21st century being able to talk, listen and express yourself are vital life skills, yet in the UK today, one in ten children – that’s three in every average classroom - have some form of speech, language and communication need (SLCN). In areas of disadvantage, evidence suggests that upwards of 50% of children are arriving at school with poor communication skills. These children are on the back foot from day one!
When John Bercow MP undertook his landmark review into speech and language services for children and young people, thousands of parents expressed their isolation and concern over a lack of information on how to develop speech, language and communication, what to do if a child was struggling and where to go for help and support. This campaign, and my work as Communication Champion, is responding directly to these concerns.
When we talk about “communication skills”, what is it that we mean? Is it just talking?
It isn’t just talking, although talking is a big part of it. It is also about the way we use non-verbal rules of communication such as listening, looking at people during conversations, turn taking and being able to amend our language to who we are talking to. Many children and young people communicate successfully using non-verbal means whether is it signing, communication books or electronic communication equipment.
It is also about being able to say sounds correctly, understanding what is being said to you, making sense of what others say and possessing a full range of vocabulary.
What is the campaign aiming to achieve? Is the year aimed at adults or children?
The campaign will work to create an irreversible shift in how speech and language is viewed and understood. We need a step change in how it is prioritised by parents and carers, teachers, local authorities and others.
The National Year will take a big leap forward in helping those children and young people with SLCN. We are seeking tangible improvements for them and their families including better access to information, improved services and increased understanding amongst society. To achieve these aims, we will be talking to parents, wider family members, children, young people, members of the children’s workforce and commissioners.
The consortium has asked the public for their ideas and suggestions on what they would like to see the consortium do during the National Year. What sort of suggestions are you looking for? How can people submit their ideas?
We want to create a powerful movement around speech, language and communication to ensure the activity taking place in 2011 is as successful as possible. We are absolutely seeking ideas and suggestions to help us do this.
People have already come up with brilliant suggestions for what they might do in their school or setting, such as having an adult Communication Champion in every school, or learning each other’s languages: from sign language to Teen Teach (pupils teach adults text speak, street talk and Facebook lingo) to home languages.
We’d also like to hear from the public about what might happen at a national level. What celebrities, for example, do you think would be really great promoters of the Year? What web-based resources should be developed? What events might happen all around the country? Ideas can be submitted to The Communication Trust by emailing enquiries@thecommunicationtrust.org.uk.
How do you envisage schools being involved in the National Year? What will their role be?
The ideal would be that schools position their involvement with the Year within a longer term whole school approach to meeting the communication needs of all their children. I see this campaign as a once in a lifetime opportunity to position SLCN within the next School Improvement Plan.
Schools can introduce systems for making sure their school is communication friendly and that they are identifying children who are struggling as early as possible and tracking their progress. They might look at what “Wave 2” interventions they could provide for children with language delay.
They might develop Family Learning work with parents, around talk and communication skills. We also hope that schools will plan for specific activities in 2011 focusing on children’s speech, language and communication.
In January you published a survey showing around one in six children under seven-years-old have problems learning to talk or problems with their communication skills, with boys lagging behind girls. Why do so many children experience problems learning to talk?
There is much public debate on why children are experiencing difficulties learning to talk. There is no firm evidence that things are better or worse than they have been before. What we do know is that head teachers and those in the workforce are noticing it, job market changes are making it more of an imperative and that school census SEN data shows that the percentage of children, who have SLCN as their primary need, is rising year on year.
Many people think that societal factors – like time spent watching TV, texting or playing on computer games – are involved. This is not just a social problem, though. A significant group of children, around 5-7%, have specific language impairment in the absence of any other difficulty. These children can often be invisible. And there are also children and young people who difficulties linked to another type of need such as hearing or physical impairment, autism or Down ’s syndrome. What is vital is that all these children get help and support as early as possible, that families are able to spot difficulties and seek help and that we have a skilled and confident workforce that are able to support children’s communication at all ages and stages.
You have been quoted as recommending that under 2s watch no more than half an hour of television a day. Do you think this is realistic?
We live in the “Information Age” and are surrounded by technology. The reality is that times are not going to change. When used in the right way, TV can actually be a useful tool that can help children express themselves and increase their comprehension and vocabulary. Spending time with children while they are watching TV, and then engaging in dialogue afterwards and during, is one way to help a child develop their communication skills.
My concern is when TV is used as an “electronic babysitter” or if it is consistently on in the background. The key thing is that the TV cannot talk back to you. It becomes negative when it is the only way that children learn about the world around them.
Why is it a concern if children learn to talk late? What is the impact on their future?
Communication skills have a profound and lasting effect on children’s lives. In order to be included into school, home and community life, good communication skills are vital.
If a child is struggling to communicate, every day counts! If their difficulties continue, they can be left out and left behind. Poor communication can lead to educational failure, impact on emotional well-being and future employability. We also know that people with communication difficulties are significantly over-represented in prisons and young offender institutions.
In June the NLT launched the Tell Me a Story campaign to raise awareness of the importance of the home environment for literacy and to raise money to support families from disadvantaged communities. What one thing do you think makes the biggest difference to literacy support in the home?
I think this is a brilliant campaign. The fact is if a child can’t say it, they are going to struggle to read and write it. For me, the biggest thing that makes a difference is parents understanding that the key to their child’s success in life is directly linked to the time they spend talking with and reading to their children. Hugely important and so rewarding when you see children learn and have fun at the same time.
Jean will be speaking at our conference in November, entitled "Smile, Talk and Listen: doing our best for babies", for more details please visit the events section.
