What do children and young people think about speech ... - Afasic

We asked… What can adults doto support communication?We asked young people to think mainly oftheir experiences and examples in schools. Theytalked a lot about how adults should speakto students – for all young people we spoketo, that meant not too much teacher talk,explaining information clearly and giving pupilstime to respond. All of this was really importantto young people with speech, language andcommunication needs (SLCN) too.“Give pupils a chance to answer orcomment. Wait – maybe even 5 minutes,don’t interrupt until we’re ready, nod andgive eye contact”They talked a lot about adults listening tostudents and having lessons which were fun,engaging and allowed students to practise theircommunication skills. They said they all learntmore in lessons where they can do practicalactivities.“Teach us how to debate and havediscussions in every lesson – let us practisethe skills, you get better if you practise”They thought teachers need to know who theirstudents are and understand what helps them.For pupils with SLCN, this meant:“Teachers need to understand pupils andwhat helps them”For other students it was simpler:“Spend time getting to know pupils –remember their names”We really wanted to find out from youngpeople what made a difference to them, tothink a bit more about what teachers can do tosupport communication in young people, so…We asked... Think of a teacheryou know who is really good atcommunicating with students,someone who is good atencouraging you to use yourown communication skills. Whatdo they do that works?They thought it was important for teachers tomake sure everyone is involved in the lesson,give clear information, encourage groupdiscussion and not talk too much.“With the best teachers, the lessonrevolves around the discussion. Theydon’t speak for hours and hours.”“They know how to explain so all the classunderstand – they ask and check it out –they show things in different ways.”“Teachers need to understandpupils and what helps them.”6 Children and Young People’s Consultation 2009