A Game-Changer for Language Development: Our Journey with TEL Ted
Rebecca Boone Elementary see significant improvements in oral language, vocabulary, and student engagement thanks to the TEL Ted Program.
The TEL Ted Program
TEL Ted is a complete oral language toolkit to Teach Everyone Language. Focusing on students aged 4-7, the program includes oral language assessment, professional development, whole-class instruction, and a pull-out intervention.
What is the TEL Ted Program?
The TEL Ted Program provides schools and districts with a way of identifying early language difficulties and is proven to improve students’ language skills and behavior in school.
TEL Ted was developed out of decades of research into students’ early language development. It helps students in PreK – Grade 1 build strong oral language skills through whole class, small group and individual sessions and focuses on developing students’ vocabulary, listening and storytelling skills. Large scale trials have shown TEL Ted helps students make up to seven months’ additional progress on top of what they would be usually be expected to achieve.
Program Structure
The TEL Ted Program consists of several components. Quick, reliable language screening, easy-to-access professional development, whole class instruction and a 20-week pull-out intervention program.
Language Assessment
Schools first assess with LanguageScreen – a quick, reliable and highly accurate oral language assessment. Any adult in the school can, in less than ten minutes, obtain a comprehensive overview of a child’s language ability. LanguageScreen is used to assess the language skills of all students in the class at the beginning of the year and identify the students who need additional targeted support. At the end of the year it is used to ensure all students are still meeting age-expected outcomes as well as evaluate the progress of those students who received the intervention.
Professional Development
The TEL Ted Program includes comprehensive online training for teachers and paraprofessionals. It is delivered completely online so you can complete the courses at your own pace, courses will take 10-12 hours to complete. The courses explore language development, critical strategies to support language skills, how to deliver TEL Ted and videos of TEL Ted in action. You are mentored throughout by speech and language professionals.
Whole Class Instruction
The TEL Ted: Whole Class activities support you in delivering oral language instruction to all the students in your class as well as further boost the skills of those students who are receiving the pull out intervention. Designed to fit in alongside existing literacy lessons, it provides a bank of activities designed to be delivered by the teacher, with the freedom and flexibility to choose the most appropriate activities in each session.
Individual and Small Group Sessions
TEL Ted also includes a 20-week intervention program consisting of weekly small group and individual sessions. TEL Ted develops students’ vocabulary, listening, and narrative or storytelling skills through scaffolded activities. Each week students are introduced to new vocabulary as “Special Words” as well as consolidating their learning from previous sessions.
See TEL Ted in Action
The research and evidence behind TEL Ted
TEL Ted is based on extensive University of Oxford research and is the best evidenced oral language program available globally.
A series of randomized controlled trials and independent evaluations have shown that it brings about educationally meaningful improvements:
- Students make up to seven months’ additional progress in language skills in just six months.
- English Language Learners (ELL) make the same additional progress as students speaking English at home.
- Behavior is shown to improve significantly (compared to the control group).
- Positive effects are seen long-term, with improvements in language, reading comprehension and single word reading seen in students two years after the intervention.
When kids are able to communicate effectively, it helps them with reading, writing, it helps them with math, and it also helps them socially and emotionally when they can communicate their needs.
Kat Anderson, 1st Grade Teacher
Winans Primary School
Success Stories
Hear directly from schools about their experiences with the TEL Ted Program
Prioritizing Oral Language in Livingston, Montana
After implementing TEL Ted, Livingston Public Schools are seeing improved literacy and a reduction in students needing additional services,.