Language Support Groups
Is your child finding reading and spelling tricky? Are their oral language and storytelling skills delayed?
Children with speech and language difficulties or disorders are at greater risk of experiencing language and literacy difficulties as they enter formal schooling. This is thought to be the case as both speech and language development, and literacy development rely on some of the same cognitive processes.
Telethon Speech & Hearing’s Language Support Program is a structured and systematic program that supports early literacy development.
Talkabout Language Support Group is for Years 1, 2 and 3 students who are having trouble learning to read, spell, write and who demonstrate delayed oral and written language. We follow the Sounds~Write and Talk for Writing programs. Both are evidence-based approaches to literacy instruction and are recommended by Dyslexia SPELD.
Run in very small groups before/after school, our Language Support Groups are a convenient and positive way to build your child’s confidence and skills with literacy, language and school.
Talkabout Language Support Group runs for a block of nine to ten weeks (dependent on the school term). The weekly sessions are for two hours with one hour devoted to reading and spelling development and one hour devoted to oral language and writing development. Across the term, our sessions target:
- Phonological and phonemic awareness skills
- Explicit teaching of the alphabetic code
- Spelling at word and text level
- Reading at word and text level
- Polysyllabic words (reading and spelling longer words)
- Oral language development
- Written language development
- Story structure
A team based approach
Each Language Support Group is led by a Telethon Speech & Hearing teacher or speech pathologist who is Sounds~Write and Talk for Writing trained and certified.
Our teachers liaise with their students’ general education teachers to provide a team-based approach to each child’s literacy and language development and can share assessment results and student progress with regular teachers.
Talkabout Language Support teachers can also assist with setting Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals, share resources and learning strategies to be implemented in the classroom, and work with general education teachers to ensure the home workload between school and Talkabout Language Support Group is manageable and effective.
What families have to say about our program:
"My child can read! She is confident! ... I love it - and more importantly, she LOVES it! We are a happier family as a whole, owing to our years at TSH!"
"The phonological focus has given her the tools and confidence to have a go at deciphering texts in any situation. The readers are also far more appropriate and consistent (in terms of the levels they are pitched at)."
"Fantastic program. Assisted my child to continue to make gains in their understanding of literacy, and increased his confidence in his reading ability."
"Talkabout Literacy consolidated his phonemic awareness and taught him the way he needs to be taught. I don't believe he would have achieved the reading level he has without this program."
Eligibility & Session Times
Talkabout Language Support Groups are available for students in Years 1,2 and 3. We offer support for children experiencing difficulties with reading, spelling, writing and oral and written language development, who can effectively work in a small group setting.
Talkabout Language Support Groups run for blocks of 9 or 10 weeks (in line with school terms). The weekly sessions are 2 hours. Please contact Telethon Speech & Hearing for current days and sessions times.
How to enrol your child
You can chat to our team directly if you’d like to discuss the suitability of the program for your child, or a student in your class. For all enquiries phone 9387 9888 or email us.
