Speech Sound Intervention in Reception: Do You Need a Whole-Class Programme or App?
Looking for a whole-class speech sound intervention, a speech sound programme or an app to support children with unclear speech in Reception? Here's what to think about before choosing one.
I saw a question from a SENCo recently asking whether anyone could recommend a whole-class or small-group interactive online intervention programme for the increasing number of children with speech sound difficulties coming into Reception.
It's a really understandable question.
If you have several children starting school with unclear speech, you want to know what you can actually do to help them. And there are certainly resources, programmes and apps available that can be used to support children's speech sound development.
But before choosing one, there's a more important question to answer:
What is actually going on with the children's speech?
Because children with speech sound difficulties don't all have the same difficulty.
What are speech sound difficulties?
Speech sound difficulties can look very different from one child to another.
A child might:
leave sounds out of words
replace one sound with another
have difficulty producing particular sounds
use patterns of speech that are no longer expected for their age
be difficult for unfamiliar adults to understand
become frustrated when other people can't understand them
have difficulty with speech alongside other language or communication needs
And two children who both sound unclear may be making completely different speech errors. That's why a programme that is appropriate for one child may not be the right intervention for another.
Is a whole-class speech sound programme a good idea?
It can be.
There are things you can do with a whole class that support children's speech, listening and phonological awareness.
For example, you might build activities around:
listening carefully to sounds
developing awareness of words and syllables
noticing sounds in words
practising sound discrimination
developing phonological awareness
modelling clear speech
building children's confidence in talking and listening
These sorts of activities can be useful for a whole group of children, particularly when they form part of good early language and literacy practice.
There are also specific speech sound intervention resources designed for Reception and KS1 groups. Some provide structured sessions that can be delivered by teachers or teaching assistants.
But there's an important distinction here.
Supporting speech sound development generally isn't the same as providing an intervention for a specific child's speech sound disorder or difficulty.
What about a speech sound app?
There are some very good-looking speech sound apps around. Some allow adults to select particular sounds, practise them in words and use games to make repeated practice more motivating. Others are designed to support structured speech practice alongside therapy, which can be useful.
But an app is a tool.
It doesn't remove the need to work out what the child actually needs to practise.
For example, you wouldn't want to choose an app because it happens to have a game for /k/ and /g/ and then have every child in your group practising /k/ and /g/ because those are the sounds the programme offers.
The starting point should be the child.
❓ What are they doing with their speech?
❓ What would we expect to hear at their age?
❓ Which sounds or patterns are causing the difficulty?
❓ What should we work on first?
Only then can you decide whether a particular programme, resource or app is appropriate.
What about small-group speech sound intervention?
This is where things can become much more useful.
If you've identified a group of children with similar needs, a structured small-group intervention may be appropriate. But again, the group needs to have a reason for being together.
You might have children who need support with similar aspects of phonological awareness or speech sound development. Or you may have a structured intervention recommended following assessment.
The important thing is that the intervention has a clear purpose, rather than simply being:
"These are the children whose speech isn't very clear, so we'll put them together and do some speech activities."
Before starting, think about:
What needs are we trying to support?
Why have these children been grouped together?
What will the adults do?
How often will the intervention happen?
How will it link to what children are doing in class?
How will we monitor the interventions/support?
How will we know whether it's helping?
So should every child with unclear speech have an intervention?
No.
This is where having a good understanding of speech sound development really matters.
Some speech sound patterns are part of typical development and may resolve as a child gets older. Other difficulties may need additional support. And some children will need more specialist assessment or intervention.
That's why identification comes before intervention. You need to understand what you're hearing before deciding what to do about it.
For some children, this might mean monitoring their development and making sure they have good opportunities to develop their speech and language skills. For others, it might mean targeted support in school. For others, it may be appropriate to seek advice or assessment from a Speech and Language Therapist.
What should school staff look for?
If you're a Reception teacher, teaching assistant or SENCo, you don't need to become a Speech and Language Therapist to notice that a child's speech might need further investigation.
You can start by asking some fairly simple questions.
🤔 How easy is the child to understand?
Are they generally understood by familiar adults? What about people who don't know them?
🤔 What sounds are they using?
Are there particular sounds that seem to be difficult?
🤔 Are there patterns in their errors?
Are they leaving sounds out, replacing sounds or using particular patterns repeatedly?
🤔 Is their speech affecting other areas?
For example, are they becoming frustrated when people don't understand them? Is it affecting their participation, confidence or early literacy?
And importantly:
🤔 Is there anything else going on with their speech, language or communication?
Speech sound difficulties don't always occur in isolation.
Don't forget the connection with phonics
Speech sounds and phonics are closely connected, but they aren't the same thing.
A child can have difficulty producing particular speech sounds, and this may have an impact on their early literacy development.
That's one reason why identifying speech sound difficulties early can be useful.
But phonics activities aren't automatically speech sound intervention.
And a speech sound intervention isn't simply another phonics activity.
It's worth being clear about what you're trying to develop and why.
So what should you buy?
If you're searching for a whole-class speech sound programme, speech sound intervention for Reception, or a speech sound app for schools, I'd suggest asking these questions before you spend your budget:
1. Who is the programme actually designed for?
Is it whole-class teaching, small-group intervention, individual practice or therapy support?
2. Does it require children to have particular speech sound needs?
Or is it designed to support speech and phonological awareness more generally?
3. How are children selected?
Is there an assessment or screening process?
4. Can the intervention be adapted?
Children with speech sound difficulties don't all need the same thing.
5. Who delivers it?
Is it designed for teachers, TAs, parents or Speech and Language Therapists?
6. What happens afterwards?
How will you know whether it's helping?
And perhaps most importantly:
Are you buying a resource because it genuinely matches the needs you've identified, or because you need something that is quick and easy to roll out to a group of children?
There's nothing wrong with wanting something practical, schools need practical solutions, but the easiest resource to deliver isn't necessarily the right intervention for every child.
What if you're not sure where to start?
If you're noticing more children with unclear speech in Reception and you're not sure whether you're looking at typical development, a speech sound difficulty or something that needs further assessment, start by getting a clearer picture of what you're hearing.
I've brought together my speech sound resources in one place, including information about speech sound development, my Speech Sounds Screener, relevant articles and training for staff.
The screener can help you take a closer look at an individual child's speech, but remember that a screener isn't a diagnosis. Where there are ongoing concerns, further assessment or advice from a Speech and Language Therapist may be appropriate.
The aim isn't to find a magic programme that fixes every child's speech. It's to understand the children in front of you and give them the support that matches what they actually need.
Hi I'm Beth, a Highly Specialist Paediatric Speech & Language Therapist.
I help education and childcare staff identify Speech, Language & Communication needs in the children they work with and show them how to support those needs through my online CPD training & resources.
