As more children need some form of augmentative and alternative communication, the use of Makaton is increasing. Rachel Makepeace, a Makaton tutor and Special Educational Needs (SEN) teacher, shares her experience of using Makaton to support children with speech, language and communication needs, as well as how Makaton has the potential to aid language development for all children.

Read Rachel’s article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-is-makaton/

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

Why is my child not speaking yet? By Gillian Craig:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/why-is-my-child-not-speaking-yet/

Supporting behaviour: Reaction vs response by Cheryl Warren:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/supporting-behaviour-reaction-vs-response/

The power of play in the absence of language: Bridging language barriers for EAL children by Marlis Juerging-Coles:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/bridging-language-barriers-for-eal-children/

Episode break down:

00:00 – What is Makaton? 02:45 – Inclusivity and accessibility 03:45 – Rachel’s journey to her current role 06:00 – Additional processing time 08:00 – Working with communities and service providers 08:50 – Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) 10:40 – How early can children learn Makaton? 14:00 – Is Makaton difficult to learn? 15:55 – Is Makaton the same as sign language? 17:50 – Varied Makaton training 20:00 – Training for parents and carers 22:00 – What age group is Makaton most suitable for?

24:00 – Makaton taster sessions

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

What is Makaton? 27:05 Share

The Voice of Early Childhood

What is Makaton?

How does Makaton promote inclusivity and accessibility?

Rachel’s journey to becoming a Makaton tutor

Why is additional processing time important in Makaton?

Collaborating with communities and service providers

Understanding Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

How early can children start learning Makaton?

Is Makaton difficult to learn?

Is Makaton the same as sign language?

Different levels of Makaton training

Training for parents and carers

What age group is Makaton most suitable for?

Makaton taster sessions

Shownotes Transcript

What is Makaton?