Preschool language intervention works, study finds

A preschool language intervention program 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 evaluated the benefits of a preschool language intervention program 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 randomized controlled trial funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The program targeted vocabulary knowledge, narrative and listening skills, with phonics work included in the later stages. 

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. Read more of this article in ScienceDaily online