Speech, language and communications needs charities I Can and The Communication Trust say their A Chance to Talk programme has also lifted children with delayed language skills to typical levels of attainment.
An evaluation of the two-year trial shows up to 80 per cent of children with delayed language skills moved to typical language levels.
More than 8,300 pupils aged between four and seven across 32 schools received the targeted support.
The results showed that time spent improving children’s language led to positive outcomes in other skills.
Among children with delayed language, 90 per cent exceeded or met the progress expected for all children of their age group in reading, 69 per cent in writing and 76 per cent in numeracy.
Schools involved in the project worked in clusters to share the commissioning of speech and language therapy, and reported they became more accurate in identifying pupils’ needs.
The results have led I Can to produce a guide for schools to help them commission children’s speech, language and communication provision.
It hopes local authorities will use the guide when special educational needs and disability legislation currently under debate in the Children and Families Bill comes into force.
Speech and language therapist and A Chance to Talk project lead for I Can, Louisa Reeves, said up to now there has been a gap in school's teaching of speech, language and communication skills.
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