Narrative Intervention Programme

Book excerpt: This book improves the understanding and telling of stories in secondary school students and young adults. Specifically designed for older children and young adults, this practical language programme was created by a specialist speech & language therapist with input from secondary school teachers and students. It focuses on enhancing the understanding and expression of stories in students aged from 8 to 18 with language and communication difficulties, and aims to: create an awareness of how storytelling can be used to enhance learning in school and social interactions in school and home environments. It facilitates storytelling. It enhances the joy and enjoyment in telling stories. It identifies different types of narratives and provide examples for each type. It encourages effective listening and attention skills. It examines different means of making story production more interesting through vocal variety, body language and print. It encourages the use of the story planner in planning and structuring essays in the classroom and for homework. Dr Victoria Joffe is a specialist speech and language therapist and senior lecturer in developmental speech, language and communication impairments in the Department of Language and Communication Science at City University, London. Victoria runs various workshops for PCT's, LEA's and schools on child speech disorder, evidence based practice in speech and language therapy and collaborative practice in education and provides training for therapists and teaching staff on working with children and young adults with speech, language and communication needs in education. Victoria is currently involved in a large scale intervention project funded by the Nuffield Foundation on enhancing language and communication in secondary school children with language impairments on which this programme is based.