Educational Psychology in Practice theory, research and practice in educational psychology
ISSN: 0266-7363 (Print) 1469-5839 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cepp20
Talkabout (second edition) Cate Mullen To cite this article: Cate Mullen (2017) Talkabout (second edition), Educational Psychology in Practice, 33:4, 453-454, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2017.1348675 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2017.1348675
Published online: 21 Sep 2017.
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Date: 30 October 2017, At: 05:45
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN PRACTICE
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Imagination and creativity This section covers the use of play, story-telling and creating, and drama in developing spoken language skills and understanding. This is probably the most entertaining section of the book, containing a number of interesting and humorous anecdotes.
Talking about language
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This section outlines a small number of projects related to the impact of collaborative purposeful talk e.g. teaching reasoning skills through talk and using IT as a medium for collaboration and discussion. Sufficient details and guidance are provided to enable teachers to implement the strategies described.
Summary Whilst there is some mention of theoretical underpinnings, e.g. Vygotsky, this is a very light touch. There is also little in terms of research (though some of the projects that are described do include some outcome measures). This is understandable given the book is designed to be practical and easy to read. It is aimed at primary teachers (particularly teachers of younger children) to support and encourage them in using talk for learning by providing stimulating examples and practical ideas. Recommended for: teachers, particularly Early Years teachers; educational psychologists might wish to recommend it to teachers interested in this area. Style: practical and easy to read. Value: good value for teachers interested in exploring the use of talking to enhance social and academic learning. John Price Senior Educational Psychologist, Thurrock Educational Psychology Service, PO Box 118, Grays, Essex, RM17 6GF, UK
[email protected] © 2017 John Price https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2017.1348674
Talkabout (second edition), by Alex Kelly, London, Speechmark Ltd, 2016, 329 pp., £39.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-90930-154-2 It is now over 20 years since the first edition of Talkabout was published. The author, Alex Kelly, is a speech and language therapist who specialises in working with people who have difficulties with social skills and there are now a number of Talkabout publications and resources aimed at specific groups. Talkabout is described as being relatively generic in its usability but deemed to be most ideal for use in secondary special schools, ASC units or with adults. The book uses a hierarchy of social skills which form the basis of the Talkabout resources, developed by the author for the first edition but more recently updated to include self-esteem and friendship skills. The book provides resources and activities to teach social skills, aimed at working with groups of learners. The book comprises four main sections; “Body Language”, “The Way We Talk”,
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BOOK AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS
“Conversations” and “Assertiveness”. Each of these sections includes a number of relevant activities and the materials required to support these. An indication is also given of the number of sessions that will be required to complete each section. In addition, the book contains two assessment tools which can be completed prior to the commencement of the group sessions, games which can be used to support group cohesion and record forms to assist with group planning and evaluation. This edition includes access to all of the activities and resources through a web-based link, meaning that they can be printed out for use with pupils. The book succeeds in providing a number and range of activities, games and resources which can be used when supporting learners to develop social skills. The addition of access to these via a web link is helpful, although in my case the setting up of this was a time consuming and frustrating process. The grouping of activities under the headings outlined earlier is also helpful and would allow a structured approach to planning a group intervention, using the hierarchy supplied by the author. The activities could be used with learners in secondary schools but also with those within the upper year groups in primary settings. The activities may need differentiation and simplification for use in the settings suggested by the author. This resource would support school staff to plan, manage and evaluate a social skills group within their setting and would be a resource that I imagine educational psychologists (EPs) would feel able to recommend for this purpose. Recommended for: the service library schools and settings Style: practical easy to read Cate Mullen West Sussex Educational Psychology Service, West Sussex County Council, Chichester, UK
[email protected] © 2017 Cate Mullen https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2017.1348675
Aspertools – the practical guide for understanding and embracing Asperger’s, autism spectrum disorders and neurodiversity, by Harold Reitman MD with Pati Fizano and Rebecca Reitman, London, Souvenir Press Ltd, 2017, 185 pp., £10.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-28564-364-2 Aspertools is written by Dr Harold Reitman and is based on his personal experiences of parenting a daughter with Asperger’s Syndrome. The book includes sections written by Pati Fizzano, a teacher of children with special educational needs, and Reitman’s own daughter, Rebecca. The focus is on practical tips and strategies for managing daily life, both in and outside the home. It includes chapters on social situations often experienced as problematic by those on the autistic spectrum (e.g. being overwhelmed in crowded situations; coping with transitions; understanding that another’s point of view may be different from your own). It is written in a very direct, down to earth style, which is easy to read. One of the book’s strengths is that it offers insights from different perspectives (i.e. parent, teacher and young person). The emphasis is very much on “understanding and embracing” individual differences,
