Clone of CSLIR Talks and Events with Announcement Sample

The Centre for Speech and Language Intervention Research (CSLIR) would like to invite you to join us for a session of talks and discussion under the theme of 'Vocabulary Development'.

Date: Wednesday 20 June 5-6.30pm

Location: Room B01, Chandler House, University College London, 2 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PF

- Dr Danielle Colenbrander (University of Bristol): The role of vocabulary in reading comprehension

Knowledge of word meanings is crucial for understanding written text. In this talk, the speaker will describe the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. She will then provide an overview of what research studies have taught us about successful vocabulary instruction. In particular, she will outline key elements of successful vocabulary instruction, principles for choosing which words to teach, and how to increase the chances that vocabulary instruction will have an impact on reading comprehension.

- Dr Hannah Dyson: Teaching vocabulary: does it work, does it make a difference, and is anyone listening?

Children’s vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to their understanding of language, and research has demonstrated a positive correlation between vocabulary levels and outcomes in educational attainment (Lee, 2011). The Wonderful Words programme, which was used in a study to teach a small number of words explicitly and in-depth to the lowest quartile of participants, has been shown to be effective in improving understanding of taught words (Dyson, Best, Solity and Hulme, in press). Further research has demonstrated that children’s knowledge of the meaning of words which have irregular grapheme-to-phoneme correspondence impacts their ability to read those words (Dyson, Best, Solity and Hulme, 2017). This bolsters the argument for teaching vocabulary, as knowledge of words arguably impacts not only oral language but also literacy skills. But how do these insights from research translate into educational practice? Is vocabulary development prioritised by professionals working with children? What are the barriers to implementing vocabulary teaching programmes in the “real world” and how can these barriers be overcome? In this talk, the speaker will draw on findings from her PhD and her experience as a Speech and Language Therapist to discuss bridging this gap between theory and practice.

- Stephen Parsons (Thinking Talking): Vocabulary development in primary aged children

Teachers in the UK have long been aware that many students do not have the vocabulary required to access the curriculum, but because of curriculum constraints many educators have had limited capacity to address this.  In recent years factors such as the updated English primary National Curriculum (2014) and the demanding vocabulary required to access the 2016 Key Stage 2 English SATS paper have raised the profile of vocabulary. Speech and Language Therapists have used curriculum-based approaches to teach vocabulary within primary schools, and the most effective approach is when this is in collaboration with teachers. In mainstream classes there are many children with vocabulary difficulties. This may be as a result of Developmental Language Disorder or issues related to social deprivation. It is not sustainable or even desirable to see all of these children for intervention. To develop children’s vocabulary within the curriculum context Stephen Parsons and Anna Branagan have developed a whole school approach titled ‘Word Aware.’ This is a theoretically driven approach that has gained wide acceptance but at this point is supported by indicative evidence only.

Be sure to reserve a free ticket by clicking on the following link: Vocabulary Development Eventbrite tickets

Previous events organised by UCL CSLIR: