Advanced teaching assistant Sue Backhouse works with four reception children to improve their literacy skills by using oral language intervention.
This video exemplifies the oral language intervention developed by the University of York's Department of Psychology to help children identified as being at risk of poor literacy development.
At Hinderwell Primary School in Yorkshire, Sue introduces teddy bear 'Ted' who helps her to focus the children's attention on the vocabulary and narrative work.
Sue rewards the children at the end of the session and her lesson is assessed by researchers, to see if the substantial improvements in literacy can be sustained over time.
It seems likely that the strategy will enable children who are at risk of later poor literacy to access the curriculum and significantly improve their educational lives.
