' the study aimed to raise the language levels of the children in order to improve their writing '
Case Study - Six Months of Intervention Using Narrative Therapy in Bridlington
During 2005-6 a group of schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire was involved in the Teaching Children
Talking Project.
The Curriculum Project Manager (CPM) worked with the two junior schools in the group during the autumn term 2005.
The CPM asked each school to identify 8 children in Year 3 who had not achieved the expected level for reading and/or writing at Key
Stage 1 and had been assessed as achieving Level 2c.
Aims of the Study
The study was designed to evaluate the impact of Narrative Therapy techniques on the language scores of the children.
The CPM also aimed to train a teaching assistant in each school to deliver the narrative therapy group sessions.
Through this the study aimed to raise the language levels of the children in order to improve their writing.
Methods
In September 2005 the children were assessed individually by the CPM using the Bus Story test of narrative skills.
The CPM then used the Speaking and Listening through Narrative materials, developed by Becky Shanks and published by Black Sheep Press, with
groups of 4 children once a week for 6 weeks.
The lesson notes provided with the materials were followed each week.
A teaching assistant, who had been chosen by the school, observed and took part in the sessions.
Each week the materials (games and activities) were left at the school so that the teaching assistant could continue the group work throughout
the week.
The CPM returned to the school in the spring term 2006 to reassess the children.
Results of the Testing Carried Out in the Autumn and Spring Terms
(given as age equivalents)
Click on table above to enlarge
Conclusion
The test results show all the children improved their language scores over the 6 months of intervention.
Some children’s scores improved by 3 years in 6 months.
The teaching assistants reported that many of the children were showing increased confidence in the classroom talking to both adults and
their peers.
The techniques used in the Narrative Therapy sessions should continue to be applied to the children’s writing so that their use of complex
sentences carries over into their written work.
They should continue to retell stories orally to practise and develop their skills.
Some of the children lacked the vocabulary to express themselves adequately.
This is reflected in the information score.
Some of the children are still struggling with this and would benefit from focused small group sessions when new vocabulary is introduced.
Retelling The Bus Story
Below is a sample of one of the children above retelling the bus story.
September 2005
There was a bus
And he was very naughty
And he wouldn’t let his driver fix him
And he ran away
And made funny faces at a train
And he raced the train
And then he had to go on alone
Because the train went under a bridge.
March 2006
Once upon a time there was a driver and a naughty old bus.
When the driver was trying to fix him one day, he ran away.
He ran down the road to where the train was on the track
And they pulled funny faces at each other.
Then they raced each other.
The bus had to go on by himself
Because the train was going underneath a tunnel.
Please click on the title of the document to download a printable version of the information contained on this page.
For further information please contact:
Linda Hobbs, Teaching and Learning Consultant, Teaching Children Talking
Tel: (01482) 392494
E-mail: linda.hobbs@eastriding.gov.uk
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