Reading skills are often a strength for teenagers with Down syndrome. Teenagers can often read at a higher level than would be predicted from their general cognitive and language abilities. Those who have not achieved reading success in their primary years may make significant progress during their teenage years. Reading and writing skills are important for everyday life and for access to the world of literature. They are also powerful tools for developing the speech and language of teenagers with Down syndrome and for mediating their cognitive development. Reading and writing can support communication, enable teenagers to achieve greater independence and enrich education and academic attainments across the curriculum. This module explains how language and literacy teaching can work together to promote the development of teenagers with Down syndrome. Guidance on teaching methods, expectations and examples of teenagers' work combine to show teachers and parents how to include teenagers in literacy learning programmes, with an understanding of particular issues related to speech, language and memory development.This module should be read in conjunction with Reading and writing for individuals with Down syndrome: An overview, DSii-07-01] as the overview provides important background information on how individuals learn to read, the adaptations that will help pupils with Down syndrome, and the benefits of being involved in reading instruction

Offers an introduction to the development of infants with Down syndrome. Drawing on the research, this book examines many aspects of development during the early years, and is a useful reference for families and professionals caring for young children with Down syndrome.

This module provides a programme of activities and advice designed to assist the development of speech and language skills for children with Down syndrome from birth to five years. The advice and activities are based on knowledge of the processes affecting speech and language development in typically developing children, the identified difficulties of children with Down syndrome and current research findings from studies evaluating effective remedial strategies. It also includes checklists for evaluating and recording children's development of interactive communication skills, speech sounds, vocabulary, sentences and grammar. The programme will enable parents, teachers and therapists to help children with Down syndrome to learn to talk, to talk in sentences, and to develop their speech clarity and conversational skills. It starts with activities to develop the foundation skills in infancy that lead on to talking, including the use of gesture and sign to support comprehension, and with an emphasis on speech sound work from infancy.Building a spoken vocabulary to 400 words by 5 years of age is seen as a priority, in order to develop grammar and phonology, and a recommended vocabulary programme with record sheets is included. The ways in which reading activities should be used to support all aspects of speech and language learning during preschool years are mentioned but the detailed advice on teaching early reading is in the reading module. This module follows on from Speech and language development for individuals with Down syndrome - An overview DSii-03-01] which should be read first, to provide the reader with an adequate understanding of speech and language development to be successful in using this programme.