Dr Silke Fricke
PhD (UK) MSc (UK) Staatlich anerkannte Logopädin/SLT (GER)
Human Communication Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery
Senior Lecturer
+44 114 222 2419
Full contact details
Human Communication Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery
362 Mushroom Lane
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S10 2TS
- Profile
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I am a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) and a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Human Communication Sciences (HCS). I am researching speech, language, and literacy development and difficulties in monolingual and multilingual children as well as the interrelationships between these skills. My research also focusses on the evaluation of early support and intervention approaches for children’s speech, language and literacy development.
Having qualified and practised as an SLT with a specialisation in children with speech, language, and literacy difficulties; and adults with functional voice disorders in Germany, I came to the UK for postgraduate studies at Masters level followed by a PhD by joint location in Human Communication Sciences. In my longitudinal PhD project, I investigated the influence of speech and language processing skills on early literacy development in monolingual and bilingual German-speaking children.
From 2009 to 2011, I worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow on the (an oral language intervention RCT project) at the Department of Psychology, University of York (see ). I joined the Division of Human Communication Sciences in January 2011 as a Lecturer and received an Exceptional Contribution Award in 2012.
I am the Course Director of the programmes PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Speech Difficulties as well as PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Acquired Communication Disorders. I am also the Deputy Lead for Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) in the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery. In addition, I am the Deputy Chair and HSS representative of the Faculty of MDH Early Career Researcher Committee (MDHECRC). The MDHECRC aims to ensure that all researchers in the faculty have access to advice and training to develop their career trajectory. I am a Think Ahead Career Mentor for ECRs and received a Dedicated Outstanding Mentor Recognition in 2017.
- Qualifications
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- 2014: Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), University of ߲ݴý, UK
- 2013: Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, University of ߲ݴý, UK
- 2009: PhD, Human Communication Sciences, University of ߲ݴý, UK & University of Applied Sciences Fresenius Idstein, GER
- 2005: MSc in Human Communication Sciences Research, University of ߲ݴý, UK
- 2001: Staatlich anerkannte Logopädin (equiv. to 3 years BMedSci in Speech and Language Therapy), College of Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Göttingen, GER
- Research interests
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- Speech, language, and literacy development and difficulties in monolingual and multilingual children (including cross-linguistic comparisons)
- Cognitive predictors of literacy acquisition (e.g., phonological awareness)
- Relationships between oral and written language in monolingual as well as multilingual children
- Assessment and management of children with Speech Sound Disorders (SSD)
- Evaluation of teaching, support and intervention approaches for children with speech and/or language weaknesses, children at risk of literacy difficulties, children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL), and children and parents learning a second language.
Current projects
- 2021 – 2025: The impact of COVID-19 on educational, language & socioemotional outcomes in KS1 (ICICLES); Nuffield Education Grant; ; Follow us on Twitter @ICICLES_project
- 2021 – 2023: Evaluation of , BBC Education
- 2020-2022: A national evidence-based care pathway for Speech and Language Therapy for children with cleft palate in the first year of life, HEE/NIHR ICA Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship 2020; Pre-doctoral Clinical Fellow Hannah Lane (@SltLane)
Previous projects
- 2018 – 2019: Ways in which digital technology intersects with assessment of individuals with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD); Heather Van Der Lely Foundation Trust
- 2015 – 2018: Understanding and enhancing reading and language skills in children learning English as an Additional Language; ESRC White Rose Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) Network grant, (Academic Lead: Anna Weighall (University of Leeds); Collaborators: Claudine Bowyer-Crane and Emma Marsden (University of York), Silke Fricke and Jenny Thomson (University of ߲ݴý), Anna Weighall and Hannah Nash (University of Leeds); Partners: Born in Bradford (BiB))
- 2014 – 2019: Better Start Innovation Hub: Language and Communication Theme (Part of Better Start Bradford funded by Big Lottery Fund), Theme team: Claudine Bowyer-Crane (theme lead, York), Silke Fricke, Anna Weighall (University of Leeds), Lorna Hamilton (York St John)
- 2012 – 2015: ; Education Endowment Foundation Grant
- 2012 – 2015: ; Nuffield Education Grant
- 2012 – 2014: ; Faculty of Health: Research and Innovation Grant
- 2011 – 2012: Promoting Oral Language in Nursery-aged Children with English as an Additional Language; Early Career Researcher/EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Grant, University of ߲ݴý.
- Publications
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Books
- Test fuer Phonologische Bewusstheitsfaehigkeiten. Idstein: Schulz-Kirchner-Verlag.
- Phonological awareness skills in German-speaking preschool children. Idstein: Schulz-Kirchner.
Journal articles
- . Journal of Research in Reading.
- . Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs.
- . Frontiers in Psychology, 11.
- . Child Language Teaching and Therapy.
- . Journal of Research in Reading.
- . The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 58(10), 1141-1151.
- . Reading and Writing, 30(4), 771-790.
- . International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 52(1), 71-79.
- . Reading Research Quarterly, 51(1), 29-53.
- . Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 32(2), 179-191.
- . Sprache Stimme Gehör, 39(1), 19-23.
- Boosting Early Language as Foundation for Literacy. PATOSS Bulletin, 1(26), 18-23.
- . J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 54(3), 280-290.
- . Clin Linguist Phon, 23(6), 404-430.
- . Written Language & Literacy, 2(11), 103-146.
- Phonological awareness skills in German-speaking children - Test development and first comparative data. Forum Logopadie, 21(3), 14-19.
- Gradient speech change during intervention for school-aged children and adults with cleft palate +/- lip. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics.
- . Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.
- . International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-16.
- . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
- Delivering Language Intervention at Scale: Promises and Pitfalls. Journal of Research in Reading.
- Phonologische Prozesse in der deutschen Sprache türkisch-deutsch bilingualer Kinder [Phonological patterns in German in Turkish-German bilingual children]. Sprache - Stimme - Gehör.
- . Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics.
- . Reading and Writing.
Chapters
- A setting-based oral language intervention for nursery-aged children with English as an additional language In Murphy VA & Evangelou M (Ed.), Early Childhood Education in English for Speakers of Other Languages (pp. 171-186). London: British Council.
- Language programmes In Kersner M & Wright JA (Ed.), Supporting Young Children with Communication Problems (pp. 119-140). London: Routledge.
- Italian speech development In McLeod S (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of speech development in languages of the world Oxford University Press
- The Psycholinguistic Framework: Five reasons why
it can benefit clinical or education practice In Bowen C (Ed.), Children’s speech sound disorders Wiley-Blackwell
Other
- Nuffield Early Language Intervention.
- . British Journal of Special Education, 37(2), 106-107.
- Test für Phonologische Bewusstheitsfähigkeiten (TPB).
Preprints
- , Center for Open Science.
- , Center for Open Science.
- , Center for Open Science.
- Test fuer Phonologische Bewusstheitsfaehigkeiten. Idstein: Schulz-Kirchner-Verlag.
- Research group
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Current PhD Students
- C. Mountford, Speech sound disorders in preschool and Reception-age children: Accuracy of identification and access to intervention; part-time PhD, University of ߲ݴý; 2nd supervisor: Dr S. Spencer
- S. Azhar, Language development and impairment in the Hejazi dialect, full-time PhD funded by Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau scholarship; University of ߲ݴý; 1st supervisor: Dr Özge Öztürk
- S. Lavaggi, Trajectories of speech acquisition in Italian speaking children; full-time PhD funded by Faculty ߲ݴý PGT to PGR Scholarship; University of ߲ݴý; 2nd Supervisor: Dr A.V. Fox-Boyer (Universität zu Lübeck)
- S. Churcher, Investigation into effective intervention for speech sound disordered toddlers; part-time PhD, University of ߲ݴý
- D. Turki, Phonological development in monolingual Saudi Hijazi-speaking children, full-time PhD funded by Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau scholarship; University of ߲ݴý; 2nd supervisor: Dr T. Walker; Advisor: Dr A.V. Fox-Boyer (Universität zu Lübeck)
- A. Zosimidou, Τhe development of oral and written narrative in relation to other linguistic and literacy skills in 8-10-year-old children with English as an Additional Language; part-time PhD funded by ESRC DTC Network grant; University of ߲ݴý & University of Leeds; 2nd supervisor: Dr H. Nash (University of Leeds)
- K. Patrick, Speech and language therapy intervention for children with significant and persistent speech sound difficulties associated with cleft palate; part-time PhD, University of ߲ݴý; 2nd supervisor: Dr B. Rutter; Advisor: Dr Joanne Cleland (University of Strathclyde)
Previous PhD Students
- C. Wealer (2015 – 2019), Early Literacy Instruction in a Multilingual Setting: Fostering Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood Classrooms in Luxembourg; full-time joint-location PhD funded by University of Luxembourg/PUL grant, University of Luxembourg & University of ߲ݴý; 1st supervisor: Dr P. Engel de Abreu (University of Luxembourg)
- Chris Dixon (2014-2018), Language and Literacy Development in Children Learning English as an Additional Language: A Longitudinal Cohort and Vocabulary Intervention Study; full-time PhD funded by Faculty PhD Scholarship, University of ߲ݴý; 2nd supervisor: Dr Jenny Thomson
- Katharina Albrecht (nee Salgert) (2012-2017), Speech Sound Development in Turkish-German Bilingual Children; full-time joint-location PhD, University of ߲ݴý & European University of Applied Sciences Rostock; 2nd supervisor: Dr J. McCormack (2015-2017)/Prof J. Stackhouse (2012-2015); Joint location supervisor: Prof A.V. Fox-Boyer (European University of Applied Sciences Rostock)
- Dea Nielsen (2012-2016), Cognitive, Linguistic and Literacy Development in Young Children Learning English as an Additional Language; full-time PhD funded by University Prize Scholarship, University of ߲ݴý; 2nd supervisor: Dr M. Warmington (2015-2016)/Prof J. Stackhouse (2012-2015)
- Chloë Bate (2008-2016), Relationships between Oral Language and Writing and their Development in 7-9-year-old Children; part-time PhD funded by University Scholarship, University of ߲ݴý; 1st Supervisor (until 2015): Prof J. Stackhouse
- Teaching interests
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I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
In addition to being Course Director of the programmes PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Speech Difficulties as well as PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Acquired Communication Disorders, I teach on a variety of modules at postgraduate level focussing on speech, language, and literacy development and difficulties (including intervention approaches), as well as bi-/multilingualism, and research methods.
I coordinate two modules focussing on Speech Sound Disorders (SSD): HCS6021 Speech Difficulties 1 - Nature and Investigation, and HCS6022 Speech Difficulties 2 - Intervention and Management.
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