15 - Words First

www.wordsfirst.uk
March 2016 Newsletter
Message from Amanda
Keeping true to
our core values
It’s easy for me to remember how old
Words First Ltd is – as old as my first
daughter Amy, which means we’re
turning 6 years old this year! That
seems so young, yet I feel we have
achieved a great deal in that time.
Almost everything about Words First has developed
and changed throughout these 6 years. We have
worked with amazing Principals, Teachers, TAs and
SENCOs and I am immensely proud of how we have
improved our service based on the constructive
feedback that we have received. If there’s one thing we
are not scared to do, it is to listen, take note and evolve!
There are, however, a few things about Words First that
have not and will never change, one of these is our
Core Values. I believe that the profession of speech and
language therapy is a passion, a calling, a career that
kind of chooses you! Through the daily grind of life and
work, it’s easy to forget why we do what we do. Every
therapist who comes in to Words First is made aware
of the values of the company and we make a point to
remind ourselves of them on a regular basis.
Our therapists at Words First adhere to these values:
Professionalism – Words First therapists will uphold
the highest professional standards in their dealings
with staff, parents and children.
Equality – we believe that ALL children, regardless of
socio-economic status should receive access to high
quality research and evidence based support when
they need it. We are grateful that our schools give us
this opportunity.
Quality – the quality of our work will be of the highest
research and evidence-based standards. We relish the
opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of our
service and will continue to evolve and adapt according
to new research.
Innovation – the name ‘Words First’ should be
synonymous with ‘innovation’ in the field of Speech and
Language Therapy. The very nature of our company is
linking literacy and language – a unique approach in
the UK.
The child at the centre – every decision should have
one overriding question at its centre, ‘is it in the best
interests of the child?’. We believe that if we keep this
question at the forefront, we cannot go wrong.
Book now for our Words First language-based literacy intervention training day
– only a few spaces left! See page 8 for details
In this newsletter I have decided to celebrate our 6
years of life by celebrating our wonderful therapists. Six
years ago Words First consisted of one therapist but
today we celebrate 21 speech and language therapists!
I’m going to kick start our celebrations by focusing on
our mainstream Secondary team and give you a little
insight into who they are when they’re not working
wonders in your schools. Next newsletter will focus on
our mainstream primary team…
Top Tip
Last year we ran a series of top tips which culminated in
our VIVID-Q strategies that are now being implemented
in many of our schools. I thought it would be useful
to recap our VIVID-Q strategies and remind schools
that, at Universal Level, VIVID-Q is a very useful tool to
boost quality first teaching for children with a range of
spoken and written communication needs.
www.wordsfirst.uk
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Words First Training Day
Thank you to staff who have signed up for the Training
Day on the 21st April. I am looking forward to supporting
you to understand what processing speed difficulties
are and how we can all help children with this difficulty.
During the training, we will discuss the Engagement
with Language Programme that has been designed
by Words First to improve student’s ability to process
language faster. The idea for the programme came
from our observation that there is nothing in the field of
intervention that matches an older child’s interest level
with his/her processing speed difficulty. Previously we
have discussed RAVE-O as a good interevention for
younger children but, as usual, older students are left
to fend for themselves. We hope that the Engagement
with Language Programme will be published and be
available to all schools soon.
Wishing you all a wonderful Easter break.
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The lighter side of our Secondary
School SaLT team
Shima Yazdi
“Every accomplishment
starts with the decision to try.”
Hobbies/interests
Socialising with friends, trying new restaurants in London,
going to the gym, learning new healthy recipes and
travelling to hot countries to tan!
Achievements outside SaLT
yy Completing the Body Coach Program #leanin15
yy Amy Winehouse Foundation Ball – Public relations team
yy SaLT representative at BIMA organisation (British Iranian
Medical Association)
A quote about me as a SaLT
A positive and bubbly speech and language therapist with
a constant need of vitamin SEA (sunshine) and an ongoing
love affair with the colour PINK.
m i le J o h n
W hy t h e
s
ig
?
b
We are proud to have many
wonderful people in our
Secondary School SaLT team,
and know they put in many
hours of hard work in the
interests of their students.
They do, however surprisingly,
manage to have a life outside
SaLT. You will have read all
about their qualifications and
experience on the website
(www.wordsfirst.uk), but
here’s a chance to meet the
some of the people behind the
professionals.
See the picture of Mo!
Rosalyn Addai
John Cane
“If you don’t stand
for something, you fall
for anything.”
“Learn from yesterday, live for today,
hope for tomorrow. The important
thing is not to stop questioning.”
Hobbies/interests
Hobbies/interests
Usually running, but currently I have very
injured ankles. I have recently joined a gym
and am putting up with the pitying glances
from the very fit & muscular people there.
I didn’t realise it was a gym that catered
especially for bodybuilders etc!!
I like to visit the theatre and love watching
classic movies such as ‘Gone With The Wind’
and ‘Porgy and Bess’.
Achievements outside SaLT
I am a Trained Mental Health Support Worker
and am a Mental Health Awareness promoter.
Achievements outside SaLT
A quote about me as a SaLT
I beat Mo Farah in a 5k race
(he would say it was
because he was running
with his wife, but I reckon
that’s just an excuse:
John -1 : Mo – 0)
“A joyous SaLT with a lifetime
supply of smiles!”
www.wordsfirst.uk
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Ros, showing off that
amazing smile ...
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Amy Bowyer
“You must always
remember you are
braver than you believe,
stronger than you seem and
smarter than you think.” (Winnie the Pooh)
Hobbies/interests
I enjoy spending time with family and friends
as well as reading, watching films, running
and cycling…we are also currently completing
building work on our house, which is taking up
a lot of time!
John singing back up at a gig last year
Dr Jon Herring
Achievements outside SaLT
Finished the Great South Run.
“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part
of your revolution.” (A slight misquote of the
anarchist Emma Goldman, 1931)
A quote about me as a SaLT
Currently an enthusiastic SaLT and part time
Bob the Builder.
Humaira Chaudhary
“Success is no accident. It is hard word,
perseverance, learning, styudying,
sacrifice and most of all, love of what
you are doing.” (Pele)
Hobbies/interests
Reading, Keeping fit, Shopping, Going to the
theatre, Fashion, Blogging, Photography, Make
up
Achievements outside SaLT
Expert gift wrapper – If you need a gift
wrapped, I’m your girl.
A quote about me as a SaLT
A fashion conscious SaLT
who loves to work hard
and dress harder.
Humaira Chaudhary,
beautifully wrapped!
www.wordsfirst.uk
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Hobbies/interests
Music and dance. I go to a lot of concerts and
dance pieces, at the Roundhouse and Sadler’s
Wells and so on, plus I do dance classes about
once a week. I just got selected to be in Pivot
Dance for the next 2 or 3 years. It’s a new
EU research project collaborating with some
choreographers at The Place in Camden.
I’m also a member of a choir. We rehearse
every Thursday and sing a lot in public too…
We’re putting out a 7” vinyl single for charity
next month and organising our own show
at the Union Chapel to raise money for the
charity C.A.L.M. We’re also playing at some
rock festivals in the summer.
Achievements outside SaLT
I was on ITV London news last week with
Chaps… A teacher at one of my schools
recognised me and came up to me in the
playground the next day to tell me so.
I’m friends with Lorraine Bowen (‘the Crumble
Lady’ from Britain’s Got Talent last year) and
sang two tracks on her 4th album!
A quote about me as a SaLT
I’m too shy to make up quotes about myself!
(I’m tempted: “Making a song and dance out of life
as a SaLt”, but that would be too corny! – Moira)
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Jemma Vella
“Education is the most powerful weapon we
can use to change the world.” (Nelson Mandela)
Hobbies/interests
Eby (wearing the captain’s armband),
ready to lead ECC football club
Travelling… To date, I’ve been to 25 countries (and
counting!) My favourites so far have been Iceland
(for the awesome scenery), Zimbabwe (for a true
taste of Africa), Egypt (for the history) and Namibia
(for the lush landscape and wildlife). I’m also good at
baking and can whip-up a nice cheesecake.
Achievements outside SaLT
Ebenezer (EBY) Tutu
“I’ve learned that people will forget
what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel.”
(Maya Angelou)
Hobbies/interests
Playing Football, All things Man Utd (very
tough at the moment to follow) , staying
fit – I am in the gym at least once or twice
a year!
There are a few things I’m proud of to date… I once
made a film with a group of young people which
we got to present to the House of Lords- that was
a lovely moment. When I lived in Mali for a while, we
built a sensory playground at a school for the blind
which will be standing for many years to come. I was
an Air Cadet for 10 years so I’ve flown planes and
gliders and I’m a dab hand at drill.
A quote about me as a SaLT
“A friendly Northerner who loves a good cuppa.”
Achievements outside SaLT
Youngest ever captain of my football team.
A quote about me as a SaLT
“A SaLT with one shoulder to the wheel”
Anisha enjoying being serenaded in Mexico!
(Eby spent a few months out of action with a
broken arm/shoulder from playing football, we
suggested tiddlywinks in the future – Moira)
Experiencing a
‘slight’ problem
during a road
trip in Iceland!
Hobbies/interests
Travelling, Dancing, shopping, trying out different restaurants and
exploring different flavours, and of course.. the GYM!
Achievements outside SaLT
Anisha Tanna
“No matter how
educated, talented, rich
or cool you believe you
are, how you treat people
ultimately tells all.”
yy Dance instructor for under 7’s
yy Volunteered in under priviledged villages in India working with
children under 5 and educating women about pregancy and its effects
yy Worked with adults with head and neck trauma and children and
children with ASD and cerebral palsy in Singapore
A quote about me as a SaLT
A dedicated SALT who loves to encourage and empower those around
her!
www.wordsfirst.uk
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T: 0203 603 0734
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March Therapist of the Month
The nomination of Helen Lambe came from the Words First Director, Amanda
Davis. Helen is a true example of a Words First therapist.
She maintains the highest professional standards in all her schools and although she
has been with Words First for over 2 years, Helen has not allowed herself to slacken in
any way. She has maintained outstanding results with her students and continues to
provide support and guidance to all staff with whom she workds. As a mentor, Helen is
approachable, friendly and very easy to get along with.
To get confirmation of our choice, we asked Jennifer Blanchette from Harris Girls’ Academy,
East Dulwich for her thoughts:
“But of course she is therapist of the Month! There is no end of great things to say about Helen. We are so lucky
here at HGAED to have Helen twice a week. As busy as she is with her own students and workload, she is calm
and available to help with any issues or questions. She helps us help our students with her clear-headed manner
and great ideas. Helen is simply jammed with no end of tips of how to use new resources and freshen up old ones.“
Choice confirmed! Well done Helen, we are immensely proud of you.
School of the month
Dilkes Academy
Our Speech and Language
Therapist at Dilkes Academy,
Lucy Kemish, is a big fan of this
school, especially of all those involved in
any way with SEN. Here’s why:
Dilkes Academy holds coffee mornings where Lucy gets
to interact with the parents and carers of her caseload.
Lucy finds this a great way to find out more about the
pupils and their case histories and to build rapport
with all involved. Packs are handed out at these coffee
mornings, to support language and communication at
home. Lucy has been able to hold a series of one to
one meetings with parents, to discuss the individual
student’s progress towards their therapy targets.
The teachers at Dilkes Academy are interested to know
how pupils are getting on. When a teacher remarks
‘yes, he doing his speech work with me’, .it makes her
day seem extra worthwhile!! Dilkes Academy’s Teaching
Assistants are carrying out group interventions in
reception and nursery 4/5 times a week and Lucy and
the Teachers can see progress (small steps in the right
direction).
Lucy is invited to weekly meetings in reception to
review progress and see how the environment can be
made more communication friendly. There are now
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Lucky Lucy’s lovely therapy room at Dilkes Academy.
many more visuals and Lucy is very proud of what
they’ve managed to achieve. “Without teachers and
TA’s this wouldn’t have been possible”, she told us.
There is a dedicated room for speech and language
therapy at Dilkes Academy. The small problem of the
room having no access from inside the school was
easily solved by the purchase, by Mr Latham, of a
dedicated SaLT departmental umbrella to keep Lucy
and her charges dry on rainy days!
Lucy finds all staff at Dilkes Academy friendly and
helpful – especially when the photocopier breaks down.
Mrs Halcrow and Mrs Plumb are two members of the
admin staff who have made Lucy’s life so much easier.
Emails are answered promptly, people are willing to try
different ways of doing things and, most importantly,
everyone says “Hello” and gives Lucy a smile. This in
turn makes her smile when she looks back at each day
spent at Dilkes Academy.
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Meet Lucy Kemish
One year down, lots more to go!
Lucy, you have just completed a year as a Words First Therapist. Most of
these questions are aimed at your experiences during this past year.
Firstly, how have you enjoyed it?
It’s been an adventure, a really big learning curve! I love
the fact that two days that are never the same. I’ve met
so many people who have really helped me in my first
year with Words First and that’s very much appreciated
especially in those ‘I don’t know what to do’
moments. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know
the pupils on my case load by being able
to spend a few minutes having general
conversations with them, which is
really good for building rapport.
There have been so many things
I’ve enjoyed, I think the variety and
meeting staff and teaching assistants
are definitely my favourite things.
How do you tailor your therapy approach to the
little ones in your primary caseload?
I didn’t realise how many uses there were for a balloon
– so far I’ve used them for speech sounds, requesting,
pupils with ASD, and attention and listening. I think
having these cause and effect items are definitely
key to a successful session. Visual timetables
have also been beneficial in keeping pupils
focused and aware of what we are targeting
in therapy. Motivators (such as, a game,
sensory items, stickers) at the end of a
session have also been important, as
that’s what we work towards during the
session.
“
I didn’t
realise how
many uses
there were for
a balloon...
What have you learned about
delivering therapy using the Words
First Approach?
I really like the fact that we combine the phonemic
and semantic elements of words to build vocabulary,
and identifying key words has helped with reading
comprehension. I really like working alongside staff and
TA’s because I feel this is the best way to generalise
therapy to the classroom environment. I enjoy seeing
the whole process, from referral, through to assessment
and therapy, and then being discharged.
What progress have you observed in your case
load after giving therapy using the Words First
Approach?
I would say the biggest change has been with reception,
as the staff have been carrying out intervention 4/5
times a week and have visuals implemented into the
classroom to help understanding. They have also
embraced using signalong which has helped pupils with
their understanding and consequently their behaviour.
They have adapted the strategies so that they can be
used across the curriculum.
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Having a primary age caseload must
mean that you have encountered some
really cute/funny moments. Please tell us
about these?
There have been lots of moments that have made me
smile and I’m constantly laughing… From being called
‘Mrs Kemish’ (which reminds me of my nan) to a boy
in year one that asked me what class I was in (I think it
must have been my height!), and another pupil didn’t
like the structure of my session and said “you naughty
kitten”. It’s all these little things that make me smile
throughout my day!
Have you set any goals, personal or
professional, for your second Words First year?
Continue to support the pupils on my caseload as
best as I can. To provide in class support, and to
continue working through teaching assistants and
1:1’s as this, so far has been the most effective way to
deliver therapy on a regular basis. I would also like to
sign off the reminder of my competencies as there’s
not too many more to go!
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Do you
work with children who are slow
readers, struggle to understand
and remember what they read or
just fail to reach their potential?
Do you wonder how you can help children
with processing speed difficulties?
Would you like to learn about
an intervention approach that
helps children engage with
language and process
language faster?
The specialists in linking the strands of
written and spoken language can help!
Attend the Words First language-based literacy intervention training day.
The course will be run by Amanda Davis, B.Sc., M.Sc.,M.A, Words First Director who has 15 years
experience in linking literacy and language in mainstream schools.
Who should attend?
Cost:
SENCOs, Teachers and Teaching Assistants working in
mainstream schools with students aged between 9 and
16 who wish to deliver small group interventions for
£100 for training and £50 if you would like to purchase all
resources necessary to run intervention groups.
30-60 minutes per week. Venue:
This one day CPD course will:
White Hart Yard, London Bridge
 Teach you about literacy, language and processing
speed difficulties affecting children in mainstream
schools.
 Show you how to identify these problems
 And, most importantly, how to support them!
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist Offices,
Date:
21st April 2016 9am - 4pm
NB: There will be another course later in the year. If you
can’t spare everyone at once, why not send half now and
half later?
Please email amanda@wordsfirst.uk for an application form to book your place.
Unlimited lattes, cappuccinos and teas but please bring your own lunch.
www.wordsfirst.uk
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T: 0203 603 0734
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Julie
We also say farewell to Amelia Cole who has decided
to explore other areas of SaLT.
Ayesha
We wish you all a wonderful future in
your careers as SaLTs and trust that
the experience you have gained with
us will stand you in good stead. Thank
you for your hard work, dedication
Congrats!
Our Dr Kat Mumford’s latest
article; “At 10–12 Months, Pointing
Gesture Handedness Predicts the
Size of Receptive Vocabularies”
is now available to read online
at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
doi/10.1111/infa.12138/abstract
Nebras
Julie is leaving the hustle and
bustle of London to return home
to Ireland, and who can blame her
(well, we could, but that would be
unkind). Ayesha is leaving us to
pursue her career closer to home
and will be doing locum work pro
tem.
On a happier note, we welcome new
therapists, Nebras Baraka, Nichola
Mundy and Sara Cathie (pictured);
and Kathryn Jennings and Jennifer
Pritchard (photos not yet available,
see the next newsletter), to the team.
We know that those schools that
have, sadly, had to wave goodbye
to Julie, Ayesha or Amelia will be
thrilled to have one of these ladies
as their new therapist. We thank you
all for agreeing to join our team, to
learn and administer the Words First
Approach® and to make a difference
to the lives of many SEN students in
our schools. We wish you all a long
and happy time with Words First
Limited. See our website for more
about these new therapists.
Nichola
We are so sad to say goodbye to two of our long
term favourites, Julie Hayes and Ayesha Zeb.
and enthusiasm over the past two years. You will be
sorely missed.
Sara
Hail and farewell
Team get together
Our team get-together on 27th January was
a great success. Almost all of us made it and
thoroughly enjoyed our well deserved Pizzas
and a chance to chat, meet new and old team
members and to let our hair down a bit.
ns Kat,
io
t
a
l
u
t
a
r
g
Con
sting
a very intere
read!
www.wordsfirst.uk
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