TTS Talking Early Years Episode 17 | Establishing Communication for Life with Louisa Reeves
Oct 9, 2025
Louisa Reeves, Director of Policy and Evidence at Speech and Language UK and a qualified speech and language therapist, shares her insights on the essential role of language and communication. She highlights how oracy fosters equity and understanding across communities. Louisa discusses the widening social oracy divide due to factors like COVID and the cost-of-living crisis. She also reveals alarming survey findings on children's speech challenges and advocates for supportive, language-first approaches to learning and behavior.
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From NHS Therapist To Policy Director
- Louisa trained and worked as a speech and language therapist in the NHS before moving to charity work.
- Her experience motivated her to share specialist knowledge widely to support parents and educators.
Oracy Defined As Core Communication
- Oracy is about articulating ideas, developing understanding and engaging with others through any mode of communication.
- Louisa argues spoken interaction from infancy underpins later communication and learning.
Communication Creates A Social Divide
- Early communication opportunities vary by family and create a social oracy divide.
- Louisa links COVID and the cost-of-living crisis to widening communication inequalities.