Silke Fricke|Kelly Burgoyne|Claudine Bowyer?Crane|Maria Kyriacou|Alexandra Zosimidou|Liam Maxwell|Arne Lervåg|Maggie Snowling|Charles Hulme
The efficacy of early language intervention in mainstream school settings: a randomized controlled trial
University of Sheffield|University College London|University of York|University College London|University of Sheffield|University of Sheffield|University of Oslo|University of Oxford|University of Oxford
background oral language skills critical foundation literacy generally educational success current study shows oral language skills improved providing suitable additional help children language difficulties early stages formal education methods conducted randomized controlled trial 394 children england comparing 30week oral language intervention programme starting nursery n 132 20week version programme starting reception n 133 intervention groups compared untreated waiting control group n 129 programmes delivered trained teaching assistants tas working childrens schoolsnurseries testers blind group allocation results 20 30week programmes produced improvements primary outcome measures oral language skill compared untreated control group effect sizes small moderate 20week programme 21 30week programme 30 immediately following intervention maintained followup 6 months later difference improvement 20week 30week programmes statistically significant neither programme produced statistically significant improvements childrens early word reading reading comprehension skills secondary outcome measures conclusions study provides evidence oral language interventions delivered successfully trained tas children oral language difficulties nursery reception classes methods evaluated potentially important policy implications early education