The Literacy Skills of Language-Impaired Children: time for 'joined up' thinking?

Abstract

Relatively little research has been completed into the nature of the association between language and literacy in language-impaired children. This study examines a group of children who attended language unit provision between the ages of 3 years 6 months and 7 years in an inner city education authority. At follow-up, the children were between 7 years 10 months and 13 years 3 months. Of the 24 children, five had transferred to mainstream school, 12 went to a Key Stage 2 language unit and seven went to special school. The links between the assessments of language, phonological skills and literacy development are described. The educational outcomes for this group are considered. Proposals are made for closer collaboration between educational psychologists, and speech and language therapists in the initial identification of children with language impairment, and the continued communication with teachers, so that the language and literacy development of such children can be viewed within the whole teaching context.