Communication is a vital part of life which many of us take for granted. We talk to express our needs, our wants and our feelings. From birth we are listening and learning, absorbing information from our environment which will aid us in our acquisition of language. Imagine your frustration if you knew what you wanted to say but you couldn’t form the words or you weren’t able to convey the right meaning with the words you currently knew?
An example of this frustration with which we are all familiar is the controversially named stage of development ‘The Terrible Two’s.’ Famous for tantrums and embarrassing behaviour two year olds are given a particularly bad reputation. Perhaps if we put ourselves in their shoes we could begin to understand and avoid such behaviours. Imagine you are limited to a handful of words within your vocabulary. Now imagine being snatched up by your mother, father or caregiver right in the middle of doing something, shoved into your jacket and marched out the door. You are strapped into an uncomfortable car seat and driven to a noisy shopping centre, where you are man handled into a trolley and careered around at top speed. Would you cry? Would you shout and thrash? Evidence suggests that the use of Baby sign can help children, from a very young age, express themselves without tears.
‘Research into ‘baby signing’ provides evidence that babies can be taught to sign their intentions to their parents or to make combinations of first words and gestures to form two-item strings.’ (Doherty-Sneddon, 2008, cited in Smith, Cowie and Blades, 2015)
Most children move through the ‘Terrible Two’s,’ and emerge the other side with a good grasp of language and an ability to express their wants and needs. Unfortunately though, some children do not develop at the same rate. This could be a result of poverty or neglect, or of an additional support need. Makaton, a system of language developed in the 1970’s and made up of signs and symbols which aid communication, could be used with children to help them develop their language and express themselves.
‘Children and adults can use Makaton to let others know what they want, make choices, share information and understand more. This helps build and develop important communication and language skills.’ (The Makaton Charity, 2015)
It is my belief that the use of Makaton can be beneficial to all children irrespective of stage or circumstance. I have seen it used within nurseries and early primary classes and it is an invaluable tool. Not only does it help children to grasp language more quickly it also provides a vital line of communication between children with no speech or little speech and their teacher and peers.
‘Makaton is regularly used in mainstream schools, to support all children to develop communication, language and literacy skills. It is also supports integration, as children with and without language difficulties can communicate with each other, learn and play together more easily.’ (The Makaton Charity, 2015)
The use of signs and symbols can also be utilised to help children for whom English is their second language. This would prevent them from feeling isolated or excluded within their class.
‘This structured approach can also help people who are learning English as an additional language, helping them to communicate straightaway, while also supporting their learning.’(The Makaton Charity, 2015)
As a student teacher this is something I feel incredibly passionate about. Linking to the idea of self-esteem which was touched on in a recent lecture, the ability to provide a child with the means to communicate and engage with their peers, their teacher, their world is vital to the development of their self-concept.
Makaton is something I feel should be taught as part of teacher training as it is a widely used, highly praised system of language. Many charities who work closely with schools recommend its use, including Down’s Syndrome Scotland and The Makaton Charity. I feel, if utilised correctly, Makaton could potentially bridge the gap between mainstream classes and ASN classes. Given Scotland’s stance on a culture of inclusion surely this can only be seen as a positive thing?

References.

• Doherty-Sneddon, 2008. Cited in Smith, Cowie and Blades, 2015. Understanding Children’s Development. Sixth Edition.
• The Makaton Charity (2015) How Makaton works. Available at: https://www.makaton.org/aboutMakaton/howMakatonWorks (Accessed: 7th November 2015).
• The Makaton Charity (2015) Who uses Makaton? Available at: https://www.makaton.org/aboutMakaton/whoUsesMakaton/ (Accessed: 7th November 2015)