Knowledge Makes Change seminar 2 - Children’s language development What can researchers do to help practitioners?

Caroline Rowland, Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Liverpool tells us about her research and ideas on Children's language and communicative development in the early years.

Caroline’s research focuses on how children acquire language, with a particular interest in grammar and in assessing how the child’s environment promotes and shapes language growth. Her first study into language development was a diary study in which she recorded every single question produced by her 2-year-old daughter over a 12-month period. Nowadays she focuses on less arduous research. She is a series editor for the Trends in Language Acquisition (TiLAR) book series and an associate editor for the Journal of Child Language. Her recent book, Understanding Child Language Acquisition, is an introduction to the most important research on child language acquisition over the last fifty years, as well as to some of the most influential theories in the field.
From September, 2014, Caroline took up a position as Co-Director of the ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development (LuCiD), a multi-million pound collaboration between the Universities of Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster. The work of the 5-year Centre will focus on determining how children learn to communicate with language, how the developing brain supports this process, and how it is affected by cross-linguistic, socio-cultural and individual variation. From September 2016, Caroline has also been working as the Director of a new Language Development Department at the Max Planck Institute in Nijmegen.

Transcript

1. Welcome Knowledge Makes Change seminar 2 Caroline Rowland Children’s language development What can researchers do to help practitioners? 16 March 2017
2. Welcome and introduction Dr Cathy Hamer Chair of Early Years and Childhood Partnership and Associate, National Children’s Bureau Dr Lisa Perkins Head of Services, Speech and Language Therapy Services & Child Development Centre
3. Language for Life Strategy A strategic partnership approach to speech, language and communication in the early years
4. Language for Life Objectives 1. Shared understanding of and responsibility for speech, language and communication development between agencies 2. A children’s workforce skilled and confident in supporting the speech, language and communication development and needs of children in Jersey 3. A co-ordinated approach to supporting and working in partnership with parents to promote their child’s speech, language and communication development from birth 4. Early identification of children who require targeted and specialist intervention
5. WELLCOMM Building on foundations developed through Language for Life training. Training and resources equip Early Years practitioners to: • screen children • deliver language enrichment programmes to children with mild language delay • provide parents with ideas to support their child’s language development • Identify children who require S & LT support
6. Agenda Making it REAL in Jersey Lucy Williams, NCB and REAL champions Julie McAllister, Jane Bravery, Nicky Hay & Sarah-Jane Walker Children’s language development: What can researchers do to help practitioners? Professor Caroline Rowland Questions and table discussions Final words and evaluation
7. Early Childhood Development Programme Aim: to provide tools and expertise to build capacity of the early years sector, leading to improved outcomes for children. • The programme is funded by UBS Optimus Foundation UK and started in April 2016 (3 Years) • Led by National Children’s Bureau in partnership with the States of Jersey and Jersey Child Care Trust • Informed by stakeholders including the Education Department, Health and Social Services Department, the Early Years and Childhood Partnership and the Jersey Safeguarding Partnership Boards.
8. Core strands of activity underway: • Developing an Early Years Outcomes Framework • Making it REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) • Knowledge Makes Change Improving knowledge of ‘what works’ for families
9. Making it REAL Raising early achievement in literacy Making it REAL enables practitioners to reach out to parents and families, building confidence and knowledge to support early home learning, with a powerful impact on children’s outcomes and on family literacy practice. Drawn from the original REAL project by Professors Cathy Nutbrown and Peter Hannon from the University of Sheffield http://www.real-online.group.shef.ac.uk/ Making it REAL Training is delivered by the Early Childhood Unit at NCB.
10. REAL Raising early achievement in literacy Books Oral language Early Writing Environmental Print
11. The ORIM Framework EARLY LITERACY STRANDS Env. Print Books Writing Oral language FAMILIES PROVIDE Opportunities Recognition Interaction Model
12. Impact of Making it REAL In England • 3 Year DfE evaluation findings In Jersey so far Evaluation from pilot Data is currently being gathered so progress can be tracked over time ECD Programme activity to date: 70 early years practitioners trained 35/47 Early Years settings involved Over 150 families taking part 6 parent champions trained
13. REAL champions – sharing experiences • Engaging families in the strands of literacy • Developing relationships with parents • REAL for all children
27. Caroline Rowland Children’s language development What can researchers do to help practitioners?
28. Discussion on your table What is the most important thing you have learned today? What key messages will you share directly with parents? What messages will you take back to share with colleagues?
29. Forthcoming opportunities • Making it REAL literacy two-day training Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th of May • A REAL approach to early maths one-day training Monday 19th of June • News about future KMC seminars and OBA workshops via KMC newsletters Contact Kate Elson on Kate@jcct.org.je for further details on workshops/ training and to join the newsletter.
30. Final words Thank you Please fill in your evaluation form – we really want to hear your feedback to inform the seminar series.