Training for parents, early years and school staff

Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It consists of up to 4 levels of training:

Makaton Level 1

It provides a practical introduction to the Makaton language programme.

It’s for parents, family members, carers and workers who need to use Makaton at home or work. Sessions include:

• hints and tips for effective signing/symbol use
• how to start using Makaton in everyday situations at home or work
• using and applying Makaton to develop the communication skills of others
• signs and symbols from stages 1 and 2 of the core vocabulary plus some of the additional stage.

There are 2 modules. You must attend both modules.

Dates:

Module 1:
Wednesday 20 September 2023, 9.30am – 1.30pm

Module 2:
Wednesday 27 September 2023, 9.30am – 1.30pm

Costs:
£35 for parents, £85 for professionals (includes manuals and technical support if required)

Makaton Level 2

Level 2 builds on the knowledge you gained at level 1. You’ll also learn signs and symbols from stages 3 and 4 of the core vocabulary plus the rest of the additional stage.

You must attend the level 1 training before you can join level 2.

You must also attend both modules.

Dates:
Module 3:
Tuesday 7 November 2023, 9.30am – 1.30pm

Module 4:
Thursday 16 November 2023, 9.30am – 1.30pm

Costs:
As per level 1 (see above). Or,

SPECIAL OFFER:
book levels 1 and 2 together and get a discount (£60 for parents, £155 for professionals)

Makaton Level 3

No dates available.

Makaton Level 4

You’ll build on the knowledge you gained from levels 1 to 3. You’ll also refresh your knowledge of the signs and symbols from levels 1, 2 and 3 and learn the signs
and symbols for stages 7 and 8 of the core vocabulary.

Dates:

Module 7

Tuesday 10 October 2023, 9.30 – 1.30pm

Module 8

Thursday 19 October 9.30 – 1.30pm

Costs: As per level 2 (see above) with the discount option available if you book levels 3 and 4 together.

What you’ll need for Makaton training courses

A computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone with a working camera and microphone and a stable internet connection.

How to book

Call: 01296 838000 option 4
or email buc-tr.cyptherapytraining@nhs.net

This course will enable the set-up and delivery of a group intervention to support early language development in children aged 2 and a half onwards who have delayed speaking and understanding.

The activities focus on:

• understanding of language (following 1 or 2 key word instructions)
• using language (from single words to combining two words together).

The training is delivered over MS Teams in 4 x 1 hour weekly sessions across a half-term. One staff member will need to:

• attend all 4 sessions
• practice delivering the group in the setting between sessions
• lead on delivering the groups within the setting going forward.

The training will include:

• how to set up and run early language groups within your setting
• step-by-step look at session plans, including the activities and resources
• the opportunity to practice running the group and share feedback with the trainer and staff from other settings
• how to use a visual timetable within the group structure
• some basic Makaton signs along with the vocabulary targeted within each session.

Feedback from a setting last year said

“It was brilliant to attend a course where we were given so much practical advice and ideas. This has enabled us to implement language sessions immediately within our Nursery, providing necessary and instant language support for the children who need it most. We just need to keep practising the makaton signs now! Thank you very much for making us feel at ease and providing such fab training!”

To sign up to this training email buc-tr.cyptherapytraining@nhs.net with the subject title ‘Early Language Group Training.’

Upcoming training

Developmental Language Disorder: The most common childhood condition you have never heard of. Dates for this training are coming soon.

We deliver these sessions online through MS Teams and help staff to support children with speech, language and communication needs.

Find out more including how to request a session within your setting.

Coming soon! A recorded version of this training will be available on our website which will be viewable anytime.

We will also be running a “live” version on Tuesday 3 October 2023 at 11.30am-1pm Click here to join the meeting or email us for a link bht.selectivemutism@nhs.net

We also offer this as bespoke training for secondary schools to enable you to train a high number of your staff for example, as a twilight, inset, or lunchtime sessions. Please contact us to set this up

You must have the settings pack available as this forms your handouts pack.

This webinar looks at what we mean by ‘vocabulary’, a child’s vocabulary learning journey, vocabulary difficulties and supporting vocabulary development across the curriculum.

It is divided into three parts to make it easier to watch. We would recommend you watch all three parts in order if watching for the first time.

Please download the vocabulary webinar handout to use with this video: Vocabulary webinar handout Sept 2023

Part 1 introduces what we mean by ‘vocabulary’ and why it is important. We also talk about a child’s vocabulary learning journey.

Part 2 looks at vocabulary difficulties, including word finding difficulties, and the impacts this can have.

Part 3 discusses resources, activities and ideas to support with vocabulary skills, relevant for children and young people in reception year and upwards.

This webinar looks at the impact of attention and auditory memory on language development, how attention and auditory memory develops over time and strategies to support areas of difficulty through education and beyond.

A recording of this live webinar will soon be available.

This webinar looks at what do we mean by ‘narrative’, a child’s narrative learning journey and supporting narrative development across the curriculum.

A recording of this live webinar will soon be available.

This first part of three webinars can be attended as a series or individually. This webinar will focus on the foundations to understanding language. You will come away being able to carry out activities with 1 -4 information carrying words,  use basic activities with children to work out their basic level of understanding, have simple strategies to help children move between levels and feel confident to support understanding of language needs in a classroom setting.

This webinar builds on receptive language part 1 and can be attended as a series or individually. This webinar looks at different levels of questions using the Blanks Levels of Questioning, what Blanks Level do I work at and how to integrate Blanks levels of questions into the curriculum.

This webinar builds on receptive language part 1 and 2. It can be attended as a series or individually. This webinar will look at what is meant by pragmatic language, to understand why someone with language or social communication difficulties might find this area of understanding difficult, to develop understanding of how to support someone who finds understanding of pragmatic language difficult and to feel confident supporting understanding of pragmatic language needs in a classroom setting.

This webinar will give an appreciation of how the social communication skills of an autistic individual may be different, to have an understanding of why social communications skills, specifically conversations skills, are important and to feel confident supporting these needs in a classroom setting.

Dates will be published as soon as these webinars have been scheduled.

This webinar is for parents/carers and early years practitioners who want to learn more about the best ways to support early language skills in young children. The child/children you support will be communicating using a combination of sounds and gestures.

The webinar goes through how to support children’s early language development using ten simple strategies you can practise at home or where care is provided. It has been broken down into five parts of 10-15 minutes each to make it easier to watch. We would recommend you watch all five parts in order if watching for the first time, but you could dip in to relevant parts if you wanted a refresher.

Part 1 introduces the ten top tips and covers the first three tips 

• Follow your child’s lead
• Be face-to-face and get your child’s attention first
• Put your child’s message into words

Watch webinar:

Part 2 covers tips 4 and 5

• Build opportunities to communicate
• Make language learning fun

Watch webinar:

Part 3 covers tips 6, 7 and 8

• Copy your child’s sounds and actions
• Use simple repetitive language
• Use gestures, actions and demonstrations

Watch webinar:

Part 4 covers the final two tips 9 and 10

• Offer choices
• Ask fewer questions

Watch webinar:

Part 5 summarises the 10 tips and how to practise them within special time.

It also covers how to expand your child’s language as a next step, and how to access the speech and language therapy service.

Watch video:

Information to accompany early language development training:

• 10 top tips for talking. 
• Top 10 tips – video links and further information

This webinar is for parents and early years practitioners.

It will help you understand what joint attention is, why it is important to have joint attention for the development of communication and how we can develop this skill with children through play.

A recording of this live webinar will soon be available.