Let's Communicate

Case Study: VNET Education

Workshops delivered at the Eastern EYFS Conference to support early years practitioners in identifying and addressing speech sound difficulties.

Overview

Delivered on behalf of VNET Education CIC, the Eastern EYFS Conference brought together early years professionals to explore how best to support young children in key areas of their development. Through a series of practical and research-informed workshops, the conference focused on themes such as co-regulation, play, and speech sound development.

COMMUNICATE played an integral role in the conference, delivering two well-received workshops centred on how children develop speech and how practitioners can confidently differentiate between age-appropriate speech sound simplifications and those that may require targeted support.

The sessions helped participants to:

  • Understand typical speech sound development
  • Recognise red flags that may suggest the need for intervention
  • Learn strategies to support children who are hard to understand, particularly while awaiting assessment or therapy from speech and language services

With a focus on practical application, these workshops aimed to empower practitioners to feel more confident in identifying and supporting speech sound difficulties in the early years, ensuring no child’s communication needs go unnoticed.

Outcomes

  • Understand that not all speech difficulties are due to a physical inability to produce one or more particular sounds.
  • Understand the importance of core skills in discrimination and phonological awareness to develop speech clarity.
  • Develop adult strategies to support the young child's confidence in talking and getting their needs met.