Early Communication Skills

Charlotte Lynch is a Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist.Julia Kidd is also a Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist.

• Acknowledgements, Preface to the third edition, Introduction, SECTION 1. Pre-Verbal Skills, SECTION 2. Language and Play, SECTION 3. Early Listening: Awareness of Sound, SECTION 4. Early Listening: Awareness of Voice, SECTION 5. Vocalisations, SECTION 6. Auditory Discrimination, SECTION 7. Speech Discrimination, SECTION 8. Auditory and Visual Memory, SECTION 9. Early Words, SECTION 10. Putting Words Together, APPENDIX, Further Reading and Useful Websites, Resources and Materials, Support Training Programme for Parents and Supporting Staff

"It was good to see the inclusion of a 6 session programme which can be used when talking to groups of parents, or training early years staff. As always with Speechmark practical resources, materials are easily accessible and can be photocopied or downloaded from the website; essential if you are a busy practitioner whose short on time!I was particularly pleased to see the recording sheets provided at the end of each section- to allow for easy recording of observations. I shall certainly be using the “responding to sound†sheets to in the pre-school group sessions I run! As a hearing impairment specialist it was also good to see included top tips for getting young children to wear their hearing technology- a massive headache for families of young deaf children.The sheer number of games, resources and ideas could be overwhelming to less experienced practitioners, who may need some guidance to know where to start! I would also have liked to see suggestions for a wider range of symbolic play activities- particularly for those boys who are obsessed with cars and other vehicles!I would however recommend this resource to any professional supporting children with speech, language and communication needs in the early years." — Suzanne Harrigan, Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, The Ear Foundation"Early communication skills are essential for educational success later in life and this book will be invaluable for professionals working with pre-school children and those specialising in hearing impairment. The jargon-free style throughout ensures it is accessible for all parents, carers, teachers, students and any one new to this age group; to enable joint assessment, simultaneous goal setting and monitoring of individual needs." — Natasha Hallam, Specialist SLT, Small Talk SLT in AFASIC News Autumn 2016"This is a very useful book that provides many photocopiable resources to develop language skills through exploratory activities, physical play and everyday experiences. There are many ideas that schools could integrate easily into their routines at low cost and that could contribute to intervention programmes. The book is aimed at professionals working with young children and many of the activities were originally developed by a speech and language therapist and teacher of the deaf working together." - SEN Magazine