Talk Boost KS1 is a school-based intervention for children with delayed language development between the ages of 4 and 7 years old. It is delivered by teaching assistants to children in groups of four children for 10 weeks. The intervention aims to improve children’s oral language development.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
4 to 7 years old
Group
Talk Boost KS1 is a school-based intervention for children aged between 4 and 7 years old (in Reception and Key Stage 1) with delayed language development. Children are selected by teachers to take part in the intervention.
It is delivered by trained teaching assistants to groups of four children in primary school. The teaching assistant provides three weekly sessions of 30 to 40 minutes each, over 10 weeks (30 sessions).
During the sessions, the practitioner uses interactive activities, games, role-play, and storytelling, supported by picture materials. The activities are aimed at developing:
The teaching assistant can model language through these activities, which are enjoyable and engaging for the children. There is also a class-focused component for the whole class, which is delivered once a week in sessions up to 30 minutes long, and an optional home-based component, which involves home activities once a week lasting up to 20 minutes in duration.
The intervention aims to improve children’s core language development, and consequently social and emotional development and academic achievement.
4 to 7 years old
Children in primary school who are identified as having delayed language development.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Delays in early language development, including reduced vocabulary and expressive language skills, can persist throughout school.
Science-based assumption
Early language development is an important part of children’s ability to engage in learning at school, and contributes to social and emotional development.
Science-based assumption
Family disadvantage negatively impacts parents’ ability to provide an enriching home learning environment, including for language learning.
Intervention
Teaching assistants work with groups of children to increase their understanding and talking through interactive activities, storytelling, and games, focusing on attention and listening, learning vocabulary, and building sentences.
Short-term
Improved child language and communication
Improved child confidence and curiosity.
Medium-term
Increased child ability to engage in learning at school
Reduced social and emotional difficulties.
Long-term
Increased child school achievement.
Children identified by teachers as having delayed language development.
Talk Boost KS1 is delivered in 30 sessions of 30 to 40 minutes’ duration each by a practitioner, to groups of four children. There is also a weekly whole-class session of 30 minutes’ duration, and optional home activities for parents and their child.
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is a teaching assistant or a teacher.
The practitioners have five hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
Supervision of practitioners is not required.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Organisation: Speech and Language UK
Email address: info@speechandlanguage.org.uk
Websites: https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/
https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/educators-and-professionals/programmes-for-nurseries-and-schools/talk-boost/early-talk-boost/
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Talk Boost KS1’s most rigorous evidence comes from an RCT conducted in the UK consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 evidence strength threshold.
This study identified statistically significant improvements in language and communication skills.
Talk Boost KS1 has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 3 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 2 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics | 180 children aged 4 to 7 years old identified as having delayed language development |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
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| Population risk factors |
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| Timing |
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| Child outcomes |
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| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2 |
| Citations | Lee, W. & Pring, T. (2016) Supporting language in schools: Evaluating an intervention for children with delayed language in the early school years. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 32 (2), 135–146. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
I CAN. (2012) Talk Boost interim report: The development phase. This reference refers to a pre–post study, conducted in the UK.
I CAN. (2013) A Chance to Talk: A national pilot programme – a scalable model for improving children’s communication skills at primary school.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
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Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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