Speech and language: Understanding

Visual supports can be a really useful way of supporting a child or young person’s understanding of language.

Some of these visual supports might be:

Visual support – transitions

Visual schedules help children understand what will be happening next and/or later on in the day. They can use photographs, symbols, or even just words. They can be used for a whole class or just an individual.

• This YouTube video is about schedules for children with ASD.

• The following video shows a parent talking through how she set up and uses a schedule with her son

• Objects of reference can be a helpful means of supporting children to understand the world around them, what might be happening next, where they are going etc. To find out more take a look at our objects of reference leaflet (PDF).
• Signs and gestures are also a helpful way to support understanding of language. You can find out more on our Signalong signs webpage.

There are reasons why we should all use more visuals in education, watch this video (duration – under 3 mins).

• This next video clips shows us how to use visual supports with children, (includes schedules, choices, using objects)

It can be useful to assess and support children’s understanding of language through looking at their understanding of key words in a sentence. 

An approximate guide is that typically developing children understand (and use) one key word by the age of one, two key words by the age of two, and three key words by the age of three.

• Two word level activities (PDF)
• More two key word activities (PDF)
• YouTube video from Wiltshire Speech and Language Therapists (supporting two key word understanding)
• YouTube video from Worcestershire Speech and Language Therapy (supporting two key word understanding)
• Three word level activities and strategies (PDF)
• More three key word activities (PDF)
• YouTube video from Worcestershire Speech and Language Therapy (supporting three key word understanding)
• YouTube video from Wiltshire Speech and Language Therapists (supporting three key word understanding)
• Understanding four key words (PDF)

• Activities to develop action words (verbs) (PDF)
• Prepositions (PDF)
• Word aware - teaching concepts in the Early Years (PDF). This handout introduces you to how to use the ‘Word Aware’ approach in teaching vocabulary and concepts to children in the Early Years. Word Aware 2 (for Early Years) is a purchasable Speechmark resource that provides a structured approach to promote vocabulary development. It includes a multitude of activities and lesson plans, as well as a whole school approach. We can provide training to support you with this resource.
• Vocabulary and word finding strategies and activities (PDF)
• Vocabulary pack (PDF) - a comprehensive pack on developing vocabulary and associated skills
• Developing language concepts - a practical, step-by-step photocopyable programme that can be purchased from Speechmark to help with specific language concepts, such as amount, colour, size, time and shape for children age 5+
• Mind maps  (PDF) can be an enjoyable, beneficial way of exploring vocabulary. They can be particularly useful for a child with delayed language or for children with english as an additional language because they can express their ideas through pictures.

• Language for thinking is a photocopyable resource based on fifty picture and verbal scenarios, each with a question sheet, that can be used flexibly with a wide range of ages and abilities. The questions are at three different levels to promote children’s development of inference, verbal reasoning and thinking skills, and reading comprehension.

This section looks at how questions can be organised into different levels of difficulty, as devised by ‘Blank’. Knowing what level of questions a child or young person understands, can help us support their understanding of language more effectively.

• Blank’s levels of questions – what are they? (PDF)
• Thinking and reasoning skills – Bloom’s Taxonomy (PDF)
• Using Blank’s questions for managing behaviour (PDF)
• Working with students at Blank’s Levels three and four (PDF)
• How to simplify Blank questions (PDF). How we can change our questions to match a child’s level of understanding.

Some children and young people have difficulties with memory. This in turn can affect their understanding of spoken language.

• Auditory memory games (PDF)
• Helping children who have a poor working memory (PDF)
• Memory strategies for pupils and teaching staff (PDF)