A Communication Friendly Classroom offering focused support and prompts/cues from adults to supplement children’s understanding and participation in activities. These cues should be multi-sensory. For example: visual (e.g. signs, objects and symbols), audio (e.g. songs), and smell (e.g. spraying different scents on different days of the week).

Creation of ‘communication friendly space/s’ (Elklan accreditation), including checking the acoustics of the classroom, having designated quiet spaces or talking areas (such as ‘Talking Tables’).

Daily routines are clear and predictable. Visual Timetables and prompts for good listening and classroom rules are clearly displayed. Ensure visuals related to past events are removed from the child’s sight (e.g. take down pictures of activities as they are completed or use a clear marker to indicate where you are in the daily routine).

Equipment is labelled with photographs or pictures.

Twinkl, Boardmaker and Widgit provide a wide range of pictures and symbols that can be used to signpost around the classroom environment (e.g. to label equipment, for displays and to create visual timetables). Be consistent in symbol use; e.g. avoid using Twinkl picture for one symbol and Boardmaker for another. 

Support children to identify what helps them to regulate, listen and attend most effectively. Ensure this is well communicated to all staff so different ways of attending are understood and praised. This is a useful resource to use with children to develop self-awareness and support a shared understanding across the staff team: https://www.everydayregulation.com/resources

Adults use specific praise when children demonstrate their preferred good listening behaviours.

Provide structured opportunities for children to talk and listen with peer ‘talk partners’.

Break down the amount of information provided at one time into smaller chunks (e.g. break up multi-step instructions and deliver 1 or 2 at a time).

Encourage the children to recognise when they have not understood something and discuss self-help strategies to solve this (e.g. asking a peer, asking an adult etc).

Try to avoid use of non-literal language (e.g. idioms and sarcasm) and explain any abstract concepts in as concrete a way as possible (e.g. with pictures or objects).

Consider the three tiers of vocabulary:

1. Every day, basic word;

2. More complex words (e.g. using ‘combine’ for mix) or words with more than one meaning;

3. Subject specific e.g. Galapagos.

Focus on developing the children’s understanding and use of words in Tier 2. These words have the highest utility in helping to close the language gap for those children with limited vocabulary. For example., explicitly teach Tier 2 vocabulary in context and add to working walls. Regularly refer and revisit these word meanings to ensure children develop a deep understanding (see Word Aware 1).