BackgroundThis study evaluates the effects of a language and literacy intervention for children with Down syndrome.MethodsTeaching assistants (TAs) were trained to deliver a reading and language intervention to children in individual daily 40-min sessions. We used a waiting list control design, in which half the sample received the intervention immediately, whereas the remaining children received the treatment after a 20-week delay. Fifty-seven children with Down syndrome in mainstream primary schools in two UK locations (Yorkshire and Hampshire) were randomly allocated to intervention (40 weeks of intervention) and waiting control (20 weeks of intervention) groups. Assessments were conducted at three time points: pre-intervention, after 20 weeks of intervention, and after 40 weeks of intervention.ResultsAfter 20 weeks of intervention, the intervention group showed significantly greater progress than the waiting control group on measures of single word reading, letter-sound knowledge, phoneme blending and taught expressive vocabulary. Effects did not transfer to other skills (nonword reading, spelling, standardised expressive and receptive vocabulary, expressive information and grammar). After 40 weeks of intervention, the intervention group remained numerically ahead of the control group on most key outcome measures; but these differences were not significant. Children who were younger, attended more intervention sessions, and had better initial receptive language skills made greater progress during the course of the intervention.ConclusionsA TA-delivered intervention produced improvements in the reading and language skills of children with Down syndrome. Gains were largest in skills directly taught with little evidence of generalization to skills not directly taught in the intervention.

SUMMARY Eighty‐seven per cent of a cohort of 299 low‐birthweight (LBW) infants (2000g) were examined at age 6 years 8 months, together with 111 control children. All the controls and 248 of the LBW children were individually assessed in school. Information about another 13 LBW children was obtained by questionnaire. Problems in primary school were related to social grade, evidence of early intra‐uterine insult, sex, postnatal complications and neurological and developmental status in the first year of life. Multiple birth, gestation and intra‐uterine growth were not clearly related to problems in school. The incidence of major handicap, as compared with LBW infants born between 1953 and 1955, showed little change when earlier‐born infants who had been subjected to severe restriction of fluid and calorie intake were excluded. Ninety‐two per cent of LBW children traced were attending normal schools. Those who showed no evidence of early intra‐uterine insult and who were neurologically normal in the first year of life were largely indistinguishable from control children reared in similar homes. RÉSUMÉ Enfants de faible poids de naissance au début de 'âge scolaire: étude longitudinale Sur un groupe de 299 nourrissons de faible poids de naissance (2000g ou moins), 87 pour cent ont été examinés à 'âge de six ans huit mois et compareés à un groupe contrôle de 111 enfants. Les deux groupes 'enfants ont été examinés individuellement à 'école, à 'exception de 13 enfants pour lesquels les informations ont été obtenues par questionnaire. Pour le groupe de faible poids de naissance, les problèmes à 'école primaire étaient reliés à la classe sociale, à 'existence 'une agression intra‐utérine précoce, au sexe, aux complications post‐natales et à 'état neurologique et dévelopmental durant la première année de vie. La naissance multiple, la durée de gestation et la croissance intra‐utérine ne sont pas apparues clairement liées à 'existence de problèmes à 'école. La fréquence de handicaps majeurs compareée avec celle 'enfants de faible poids de naissance nés entre 1953 et 1955, montrait peu de modifications une fois exclus les nourrissons de groupe le plus ancien ayant été soumis à une restriction sévère de 'absorption liquidienne et calorique. 92 pour cent des enfants de faible poids de naissance examinés, fréquentaient les écoles normales. Ceux qui ne montraient pas de signes 'agression intra‐utérine précoce et qui étaient neurologiquement normaux dans la première année, étaient globalement identiques aux enfants du groupe contrôle élevés dans des foyers équivalents. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Kinder mit niedrigem Geburtsgewicht, die jet zt im frühen Schulalter sind: eine Langzeitstudie Aus einer Gruppe von 299 Kindern mit niedrigem Geburtsgewicht (2000g oder weniger) wurden 87 Prozent im Alter von sechs Jahren und acht Monaten zusammen mit 111 Kontrollkindern untersucht. Jede Gruppe wurde in der Schule individuell beurteilt mit Ausnahme von 13 Kindern, für die man die Informationen über einen Fragebogen einholte. Für die Kinder mit niedri...

Many EAL learners experience significantly lower levels of English vocabulary knowledge which has a significant impact on their ability to understand written and spoken text. Greater emphasis on language development is therefore needed in the school curriculum to attempt to address the limited language skills of children learning EAL.

This study provides further evidence that oral language interventions can be delivered successfully by trained TAs to children with oral language difficulties in nursery and Reception classes. The methods evaluated have potentially important policy implications for early education.

Reciprocal relationships between vocabulary and comprehension may lead to increasing gaps in reading comprehension between monolingual and EAL pupils over time. It is proposed that support for the development of vocabulary skills in children learning EAL is needed in early years' classrooms.