Language@Leeds webinar: Working with Early Years Practitioners to improve children’s speech, language and communication outcomes

Language@Leeds Webinar

Presentation summary:

Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds often start school with lower language skills than their more advantaged peers. This has significant impacts on their later learning and life outcomes. Evidence suggests that high quality early years provision can mitigate those impacts. The national expansion of childcare entitlements has the potential to increase access to early years provision for many (but not all) of those in need.

Alongside this there has been a growth in provision of continuing professional development programmes targeting language support, often offered through the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs established as part of the DfE’s post-pandemic early years recovery programme. However, the sector is already overburdened with difficulties recruiting and retaining a high quality workforce.

This presentation will discuss working with early years practitioners, across a range of settings including group-based and childminder settings, to understand the facilitators and barriers to training and implementation of speech, language and communication programmes. We will discuss recommendations for future training and working with the sector to improve outcomes for children in the early years.

About the speaker

Louise Tracey is Professor of Early Years Education at the University of Leeds. She conducted work during Covid highlighting the impacts of the pandemic on children Starting School and currently works with practitioners and programme developers to evaluate the impact of early years speech, language and communication programmes on children’s outcomes. Recent evaluations, primarily funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, include Concept Cat and Communication Friendly Home-Based Settings. She also advocates for the importance of understanding local contextual needs for early years provision.

Format

The session will start with a 20-minute presentation by Prof Louise Tracey, followed by 10 minutes for questions and answers.

The webinar will be chaired by Prof Cécile De Cat, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Leeds.

Please follow this link to register.

For any queries, please contact language@leeds.ac.uk