About Makaton.
Makaton is a unique language development programme, that uses speech, sign and symbols to enable people to communicate. It supports the growth of essential communication skills such as language development and comprehension, attention and listening skills.
Makaton is the UK's leading language development programme used by adults and children with learning or communication difficulties and by everyone who shares their lives, whether parent, teacher or support worker.
Whether you are working with a small child just acquiring language, an child/adult with communication difficulties or supporting those with memory loss/stroke, Makaton can help!
Where? Workshops both in Cambridge and Norwich and surrounding areas as well as online (see calender)
Cambridge and Norwich venues as well as bespoke workshops at your own premises within 50 miles of Cambridge and Norwich.
What is Makaton?
Being able to communicate is one of the most important skills we need in life. Almost everything we do involves communication; everyday tasks such as learning at school, asking for food and drink, sorting out problems, making friends and having fun. These all rely on our ability to communicate with each other.
Nationally over 100,000 people are now using Makaton and more young people are using Makaton to communicate even before they have learnt to speak. Research shows that young children want to communicate before they are able to talk, so Makaton allows young toddlers to say what they want through signs and/or symbols before they've learnt how to speak the words for what they want. It helps them to develop their communication skills by encouraging them to put words together.
Makaton is useful for all sorts of people including those who struggle with understanding concepts, those who have poor literacy skills, including grammatical knowledge, and those with English as an Additional Language. When we use Makaton, we allow children and adults to take a more active part in life, because communication and language are part of everything we do and learn.
Makaton uses speech with signs and symbols to help people communicate. We also use facial expression, eye contact and body language to give as much information as possible. Makaton uses normal word order when speaking and key word signing (information carrying words only).
Why signs?
With Makaton, signs are used with speech in spoken word order. Using signs can help people who have no speech or whose speech is unclear. Research has shown that signs and gestures are easier to learn than spoken words. This makes sense. Babies use gestures before they can speak, to tell us what they want. For example, they might point at the biscuit tin or hold out their arms to be lifted up. Makaton enables children and adults to let others know what they want, make choices, share information and understand more. This helps build and develop important communication and language skills.
Why symbols?
Symbols can be used to support communication in separate ways. Using symbols can help people who have limited speech and those who do not wish to speak or sign or prefer not to sign. Those with difficulty signing may prefer to point to a symbol. It is an additional aid in communication and can act as an aide memoire for the sign. We know that children have different modes of learning and by using this multi-modal approach we are accessing visual, auditory and kinaesthetic senses.
Where is Makaton used?
Makaton in Education and Health Care settings
Whether you work in a school or a nursery, a healthcare or a social care setting Makaton, whether your user has sensory, physical or learning disabilities, the Makaton language development program can break down communication barriers through signs, symbols and speech and enable your user to communicate.
Makaton and parents
Are you hoping to support your baby or toddler with language acquisition? Makaton is frequently used in many early years settings and primary schools. Many children's understanding develops ahead of their spoken language. Signing can help young children express themselves whilst their physical skills are developing and through the use of symbols always used with speech, enhance their understanding.
Makaton users with disabilities
Are you a parent or a family member of someone who uses Makaton? Makaton can support individuals with no speech, unclear speech or those find communicating difficult. Makaton can reduce frustration, create choice and facilitate communication for users with disabilities and family members have described the ability to communicate with them as 'life changing'!
Makaton in business
Wanting to support your employees with communication skills? Meeting the needs of clients and employees with cognitive and communication difficulties is essential in order to be a truly inclusive business. Learning Makaton communication skills will widen your customer base. Through the use of the Makaton friendly scheme, you Will allow Makaton users to feel welcome when visiting your business. Whether your user's needs are cognitive or where English is not the first language, the Makaton Language Development program can help. Staff feel empowered - by encouraging your staff to acquire another skillset, you are enabling them to grow and enhance their communication skills.
Makaton and English as a second language
With signs remaining the same regardless of language spoken, Makaton is useful where English is not the first language. Through the use of signs and symbols which are universal. whilst at the same time modelling the English language, you will increase language learning potential.
About Serga
Serga is a qualified Makaton tutor
All qualified Makaton Tutors go through robust training with the Makaton Charity. They need to have completed all stages of Makaton Training. In addition to this they need to pass a specific Tutor Training course, complete many practical and theory assessments and pass an observational assessment of course delivery.
Serga is a licensed Makaton Tutor – the license needs to be reviewed every year and tutors have to be up to date in their practice by taking annual refresher courses and registered as current Tutor with the Charity. Serga has a tutor license number and can provide this on request. All practising Tutors must undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check and register with the ICO (Information Commissioners Office)
A career in teaching
Serga has spent her whole life helping others.
She has been an early year's teacher since her children were small and has helped numerous children on the journey to language acquisition. She is a linguist and herself had to learn English as an additional language from scratch as a child, so she knows just how hard it can be.
Serga trained as a teacher with a specialism in Special Educational Needs and spent the first part of her career in adult education working with adults with complex and profound needs. The communication difficulties of persons on the autistic spectrum became one of her ‘special interests’ and she has a great deal of experience in this particular field.
Serga wanted to find an alternative mode of communication and spent time learning British Sign Language but soon found that this was too difficult for the users she was working with. Happily, she came across Makaton and as soon as she had started her Makaton journey could not stop exploring the endless possibilities for its users. She had soon completed all the levels and started on her journey to become a tutor. She qualified as a tutor and has since been teaching a wide range of professionals including carers, teachers, teaching assistants, speech and language therapists and of course – parents!
Indeed, her enthusiasm for Makaton is such that she has given up her early year's role as teacher in order to concentrate on teaching Makaton both to professionals but also in house with users from all walks of life.
“It is such an enriching experience. I come away from every course, having met some wonderful people. It is heart-warming to come across so many ‘caring’ people who want to make the lives of other better and together we work on strategies to create the optimum learning experience for our users. I want to give our users the tools to LIVE THEIR BEST LIFE!”
How I teach
Approach
Both the online and face to face courses are very interactive!
“Practice makes perfect!”
Each Level has a set amount of new Makaton vocabulary to learn (signs and symbols), these are demonstrated by the tutor. Once familiar with the new concepts, we put them into practice in small groups (breakout rooms if on Zoom) until learning is embedded. Several presentations ensure understanding of the key elements of Makaton, eg keyword signing, design themes etc. At the end of each session there is always time to ask questions and talk about more specific needs and situations.
The vocabulary in each level has been carefully identified by the Makaton Charity as the most high frequency concepts required by our users.
Learning online
Whilst I have heard concerns before the course about online learning not being personal enough, the use of breakout rooms often allows individuals to develop relationships and of course it has the advantage of ‘distance being no object’ - this means that courses can be split into more than one session. This has the advantage that learning can be embedded through use between the sessions (not essential) and many course participants have found this beneficial. Online learning is delivered via Zoom.
Learning in person
It is always lovely to be face to face with someone and many of course participants find that as they tend to be from one locality, they continue to meet up even after the course finishes for further Makaton practice. Serga is happy to travel to locations throughout Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Essex to deliver training. Serga is based in Cambridge and Norwich.
Makaton for parents and carers
Parents and Carers are their child’s first teachers and as such it is ‘essential’ to establish communication between parent and child. Everyday tasks such as getting up in the morning, asking for food and drink, sorting out problems, making friends and having fun all rely on the ability to communicate with each other. Without understanding of the others needs and wishes, small tasks can seem insurmountable.
As their child’s primary carer, parents/carers play an essential role in teaching their child and the child will ‘soak up’ learning like a sponge.
Comments from parents have included that learning Makaton has been ‘life-changing’ for them – what greater praise can there be?