NELI

The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is an evidence-based oral language intervention for children in nursery and reception who show weakness in their oral language skills and who are therefore at risk of experiencing difficulty with reading. It is delivered over 30 weeks by teaching assistants in groups of three to four children.

The intervention was developed by a team from the University of York, who subsequently carried out a randomised control trial in 15 schools and feeder-nurseries across Yorkshire. After 30 weeks, the children who had received the intervention had improved expressive language skills, including the use of vocabulary and grammar. Their letter-sound knowledge and spelling also improved, indicating the foundations of phonics were in place.

State-funded English schools with reception classes have accessed the Nuffield Early Language Intervention free of charge in academic years 2020/21 and 2021/22, supporting thousands of pupils with vital communication skills.

To find out more about the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme, please click on the image below or visit here.