Language Intervention Provides Educational Benefits For Pre-school Children

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
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A pre-school language intervention programme can significantly improve the educational lives of children with poorly developed speech and language skills, according to new research by psychologists at the University of York.

In the Language 4 Reading project, a team from the University's Department of Psychology at the University of York have evaluated the benefits of a pre-school language intervention programme for children who enter school with poorly developed speech and language skills.

The project, which involved 15 schools and feeder-nurseries across Yorkshire, was a randomised controlled trial funded by the Nuffield Foundation. A member of staff from each of the Early Years settings was trained to deliver a language intervention programme.

The programme targeted three key areas: vocabulary knowledge, narrative and listening skills, with phonics work included in the later stages. Children took part in three group sessions each week, supplemented by individual work once they entered school.

After 30 weeks, the children who had received the intervention showed wide-ranging improvements in expressive language skills, including the use of vocabulary and grammar, while gains in letter-sound knowledge and spelling indicate that the foundations of phonics are in place.

Professor Margaret Snowling, who led the research team, said: "Language skills are the foundation for literacy development and are fundamental to educational success. Our findings show that language intervention can be delivered successfully in Early Years settings by appropriately trained and supported teaching assistants. It has the potential to improve the educational lives of many children.

"Feedback from children, parents and teaching assistants indicates that taking part in the project has been an enjoyable experience for all concerned. The commitment of the schools and the enthusiasm of the teaching assistants have contributed to the success of the project."

The Communication Champion, Jean Gross, will attend a celebration evening at the Centre for Reading and Language in the Department of Psychology, tomorrow (3 November) to acknowledge the contribution of the teaching assistants and each participating school will receive a certificate to thank them for their support.

The University of York project team also included Professor Charles Hulme, Dr Silke Fricke and Dr. Claudine Crane.

Sources: York University, AlphaGalileo Foundation.

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Study Finds Benefits Of Dental Therapists In Alaska, Insurance Commissioner Steps Down In Conn.

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 03 Nov 2010 - 5:00 PDT window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId: 'aa16a4bf93f23f07eb33109d5f1134d3', status: true, cookie: true, xfbml: true, channelUrl: 'http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/scripts/facebooklike.html'}); }; (function() { var e = document.createElement('script'); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e); }()); email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The New York Times, certified dental therapists in Alaska, "the only state where nondentists may perform extractions and administer fillings. The therapists, who receive two years of training, help fill a vacuum: Alaska has long had trouble attracting and retaining licensed dentists. Sixty percent of Alaska Native children ages 2 to 5 have untreated decay, and 20 percent of Native adults over 55 have no teeth at all. But the American Dental Association, the nation's leading dental society, opposes the use of nondentists for 'irreversible procedures' - including drilling and extraction - citing patient safety. ... Now a two-year foundation-supported study has reignited the debate over which practitioners are qualified to provide dental care, especially to underserved populations in high-poverty areas" (Cohen, 11/1).

Indian Country Today: The research "offered several positive findings specifically about the program, including that dental therapists are technically competent to perform the procedures within their scope of work and are doing so safely and appropriately; they are consistently working under the general supervision of dentists; and they are successfully treating cavities and helping to relieve pain for people who often had to wait months or travel hours to seek treatment. At the same time, patients tend to be satisfied with the care they received, and the program has been well-accepted in tribal villages. ... The [ADA] has opposed Congress expanding the Alaska therapist model, and has suggested that the drastic shortage of dentists in the IHS system is being addressed" (Capriccioso, 11/2).

The Connecticut Monitor: "State Insurance Commissioner Thomas R. Sullivan, whose department sparked controversy last month when it approved rate hikes as high as 47 percent for Connecticut's largest health insurer, resigned Monday to take a job in the private sector, Gov. M. Jodi Rell's office confirmed. Full details of Sullivan's departure, including his next job assignment, were not available late Monday, though the administration confirmed Sullivan would leave his state post in two weeks. Sullivan, who was appointed Connecticut's 30th insurance commissioner by Rell in April 2007, drew criticism last month when his agency gave the green light to the largest rate increase in the state since the national health care reform was enacted" (Phaneuf, 11/1).

The Washington Post: "The largest nurses union in the United States asked the D.C. Health Department on Monday to investigate nurse understaffing at Washington Hospital Center that the union says is jeopardizing patient care. In a 19-page report filed with the department, National Nurses United documented 50 instances of what it described as unsafe patient care this year in all departments in the hospital. No deaths were reported. The reports describe instances of patients not receiving medication on time, newborn infants not being fed promptly and a patient who was rushed back to the operating room after the patient had stopped breathing and suffered cardiac arrest. The union did not know whether the patient survived" (Sun, 11/1).

Kansas Health Institute: "As part of a growing national effort to prevent prescription drug abuse, the Kansas State Board of Pharmacy will soon launch a computerized monitoring program designed to give doctors and pharmacists near-instant access to patient drug histories. ... The Web-based monitoring system chosen by the board is called RxSentry, a product of Health Information Designs, which is headquartered in Auburn, Ala. The company also provides drug utilization services to the Kansas Health Policy Authority and prescription monitoring services to government agencies in 10 states" (Ranney, 11/1).

Oregon Public Broadcasting News: "Oregon unveiled part of its plan for implementing the federal health overhaul this week. When the federal government banned health insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, two of Oregon's largest insurers stopped offering 'child-only' policies. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and HealthNet were worried parents would only sign-up their kids once they became sick -- thus undercutting the premise of insurance. The state's fix is an enrollment window -- from November 1st to December 31st -- so parents can't wait until illness strikes" (Foden-Vencil, 11/2).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

All opinions are moderated before being added.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

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View the original article here

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