We know how challenging it can be to support children's speech and language development, especially with so many demands on your time and resources. That's why we've put together a collection of useful links and trusted resources from both LINGO and other expert organisations. Whether you need practical tools, evidence-based strategies, or guidance on specific needs, this resource bank is here to help.
Let us know in the comments if you have any favourites or share any other great resources you have found.
Useful Charities and Organisations
The following charities and organisations all have a wide range of information and free resources that may be useful to those working in education and parents.
LuCiD – The ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development
This is a research hub, so has lots of up to date research information. It is particularly useful for Early Language Learning. There is information for researchers, parents and teachers.
Nasen – The National Association for Special Educational Needs
This is an organisation for SENCo’s. There are free resources as well as additional content such as training which can be paid for.
This is a parent-led organisation for SEND. They have lots of useful information for parents of children with SEND and produce a regular newsletter which parents and professionals can sign up for.
This is a parent organisation for SLCN and DLD. They run a helpline and have training for parents, so can be a useful organisation to signpost to parents of children with DLD.
This is a national organisation of teachers, speech and language therapists and other professionals with lots of information on DLD. Their website has lots of really useful information about DLD. They also run training and an annual conference.
RADLD – Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder
This is a charity focused on raising awareness of DLD. They lead on the annual DLD awareness day which often happens in October.
This is an organisation with the aim of promoting oracy in schools and in the wider society. Their website has lots of useful research information and blogs about Oracy. It also signposts useful information and resources on Oracy.
This website has some great resources and advice for families around early learning, including videos and playful resources for parents.
This website has videos and ideas around learning to talk for parents of young children aged 0-5 years.
This is a UK charity and membership organisation representing people who stammer. They have useful information for parents, young people and professionals working with children and young people.
This is a government campaign with tools that focus on helping children to talk and parenting.
This is an organisation focused on developing good autism practice. They have lots of useful resources and a regular newsletter.
This organisation creates tools for schools and nurseries, gives advice and guidance to families and puts pressure on politicians to ensure children with SLCN get the help and support they need.
Advice Line for Families – Speech and Language UK
Speech and Language UK provide an advice line for parents or carers and practitioners to discuss concerns they have about a child.
RCSLT - Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
The professional body for SLTs in the UK, with information about the work of speech and language therapists.
Information for children with a range of additional needs, including information on alternative and augmentative communication. Free templates for Communication Passports.
Support people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Singing Hands Website and YouTube channel
Singing Hands uses signing with Makaton to help develop someone’s communication potential through music, songs, games & activities. They focus on learning language in a way that is motivating, engaging and fun.
Typical Communication Development
The following free guides provide an outline of the typical development expected at different ages and stages of children’s communication development. These guides are useful tools that provide a benchmark for what’s expected. They can be a helpful tool to support the identification of children with speech, language and communication needs.
Universally Speaking – From birth to 5 years
Universally Speaking – From 5 to 11 years
Universally Speaking – From 11 to 18 years
What’s typical talk at Primary
What's typical talk at Secondary
Small Talk – How children learn to talk, from birth to age 5
Identification of Individual Needs
The following are useful tools that can be used to identify children who may be struggling to develop their speech, language, and communication skills.
Early Years Progression Tools – The Communication Trust
This is an identification tool for children aged 3 – 4.
Progression Tools for Primary Years Set – The Communication Trust
This is a set of identification tools for children aged 4-10.
Progression Tools for Secondary Years Set – The Communication Trust
This is a set of identification tools for children aged 11-18.
Speech Link have packages for Infant Language, Junior Language and Secondary Language which include identification tools, assessments and interventions.
Wellcomm have multiple toolkits that help identify pre-school and primary school children who are experiencing barriers to speech and language development.
Inclusion Development Programme
This is a tool to help identify children with speech, language and communication needs.
This is a free screening tool that can be used to identify areas of concern with speech sounds.
Whole Class Approaches
The following information and tools are useful in supporting children’s communication in the classroom. There are also some resources that provide further advice and information to both parents and educational practitioners.
Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool – The Communication Trust
This is a free tool designed to be used in an observation of a classroom or a learning space by someone other than the adult working with the children. The observation tool can be used in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms and other early years learning spaces. It aims to support practitioners to create an environment where the physical and learning environment supports children’s communication.
Communication Friendly Environment (CFE) Booklet – Warwickshire County Council
This booklet provides examples of good practice for creating a communication friendly environment, using lots of visual support. It gives some practical examples which can be useful to spark ideas in your own settings.
Reflecting on our skills – Thinking Together Project
This page has some resources for teachers and teacher-trainers to use to develop their own and their students' awareness of how talk is used in classrooms. It has lesson plans that are useful in supporting staff to introduce Oracy strategies into their teaching and learning.
Using Specific Approaches
These references share more specific approaches that can be used to help children with SLCN.
What Works Database – The Communication Trust
Here you can register to access the What Works Database, a database of evidenced interventions to support children’s speech, language and communication. It can be a good starting point if you are unsure of which interventions to consider for your children.
Colourful Semantics: A Resource for Developing Children’s Spoken and Written Language Skills
This is an evidence-based approach to support children’s language. There are lots of resources available to support colourful semantics, though this is the one we like. It’s a comprehensive resource pack that draws in the principles of Colourful Semantics to support children’s language development.
The SHAPE CODING system was designed to teach spoken and written grammar to school-aged children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
Narrative Approaches - My Story Map
There are lots of resources to support narrative skills. This one has come from a research project and is free to download. It is included in the What Works Database, you’ll need to register to make an account before downloading.
Active Listening for Active Learning Digital Resource – Course Beetle
This is a mainstream resource to promote understanding, participation and personalised learning in the classroom. It includes some great resources for supporting comprehension monitoring.
This website shares information about Intensive Interaction, a person-centred communication approach. It also has some resources to download and signposts the intensive interaction handbook.
Interventions
This section contains various interventions that can be used in schools with children from early years up to secondary. Each intervention provides a structured programme to help with specific areas of speech and language development.
Chatterboxes 1 and 2
Chatterboxes are big boxes of activities to support listening, understanding, and talking for 3–to-5-year-olds. In the boxes are games, books, toys, and over 70 activity cards written to support children’s language. Themes include “Animal Adventures” and “Me and My World”.
Sounds Right is a targeted intervention to support phonological awareness and vocabulary learning for children aged 4-6 years. The Intervention provides a structured programme of interactive activities for children struggling with phonics and reading. It includes identification and assessment tools.
Language Legends 1 and 2
Language Legends is a targeted intervention for children with language difficulties in KS2-KS3. Written around a well-known story, the intervention helps children progress their understanding and use of vocabulary, wider language skills and ability to work collaboratively.
News Hackers is an intervention written around current news stories for children in KS3. News Hackers helps develop language skills important for learning, such as; listening & understanding, summarising & explaining, collaborative talk, and word learning.
Free to access, the toolkit provides information, strategies, practical activities and suggested resources that can be used within the classroom to support communication development. Although designed for children with DLD, it is useful for a wide range of children with language needs.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
This section shares any websites or resources that specifically link to DLD. They include useful organisations, tools and resources (some are repeated in other sections)
This is a parent organisation for SLCN and DLD.
This is a national organisation of teachers, speech and language therapists, and other professionals with lots of information on DLD.
RADLD – Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder
This is a charity focused on raising awareness of DLD.
DLD and Me by Anna Sowerbutts and Amanda Finer
This book is designed for speech and language therapists, teachers, other professionals and parents. It consists of an easy-to-follow 12 week programme to help children and young people with DLD understand their strengths, what DLD is and how they can support their own communication in everyday life.
The toolkit provides information, strategies, practical activities and suggested resources that can be used within the classroom to support communication development.
Effective Teaching and Learning Framework for Students with DLD – RADLD
This is a short, handy guide with simple actions and strategies schools can use when teaching students with DLD.
This Padlet contains lots of links to information, resources and other useful tools to support students with DLD