Communication Friendly Environments
A learning environment that supports language and
communication has a wide range of benefits for everyone!
Good universal provision starts with
adjusting the environment to reduce or remove barriers to enable
all learners to develop their social, emotional and learning
potential. Consideration must be given to:
- The way in which adults interact and
communicate with children
- The physical environment
- Visual support
- Careful planning.
Effective strategies for supporting
children should be known by all staff, including lunch-time
supervisors and office staff. There should be a consistency of
approach across the whole setting/school to avoid confusion for the
child.
Communication Friendly Environment audit tools
Audit tools can be used either by individuals
as an evaluation of their own inclusive practice or by Senior
Management as part of focused observations.
What would you expect to see in a communication
friendly environment?
The following audit tools describe features and strategies that
will support all children and particularly those
with SLCN. The 'Summary of Community Friendly Environment
Audit' form provides an opportunity to record what is being done
already, what might be done next as well as any outcomes of changes
which are made.
Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS)
The Early Childhood Environmental Rating
Scale (ECERS) (External Website) is an internationally
recognised tool which enables Early Years settings to evaluate
their environment and provision, and to identify clear steps for
development in order to improve outcomes for children.
Originally designed in America, ECERS was
the tool used in the UK national research study, the 'Effective
Provision of Pre-school Education' (EPPE) Project which studied the
progress and development of 3,000 children from different types of
Early Years settings. The EPPE findings demonstrated a correlation
between the quality of provision, as measured by ECERS, and
children's development and future achievement.
Settings can make a difference by integrating
good language models to stimulate children in their development.
This will include using a range of activities including:
- Providing a good environment for listening and attention
- Adults talking and listening to children
- Imaginative use of play and toy resources
- Activities with music, song and rhyme
- Storytelling and reading books
- Following and using the child's interests.
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This page was last reviewed 17 May 2013 at 13:41.
The page is next due for review 13 November 2014.