Communication & Language Rich
Learning Environments
How we can generate high quality Early Years learning
environments across the city to help narrow the gap for our most
vulnerable children
Presented by: Jan Stevens ELC/SLT
FIND A FRIEND!
Feedback
How did that make you feel?
 Was the activity successful?
 What made it difficult for you?
 How could things have been improved?

Why Are You
Here?
To
enable you to create & maintain a
Language Rich Learning Environment
to be able to support ALL children in high
quality universal provision
Communication Rich Learning
Environment
Specialist
Targeted
Universal
Agenda
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Evidence Base
Sharing the audit tools currently available in Southampton
for Schools & Early Years staff
What makes an effective language-rich learning
environment?
Physical space
Planning vocabulary
Quality interactions between adults & children
Evidence Base

Around 10% of all children have SLCN which may be specific or complex &
long-term (ICAN Talk Series Issue 2 2006)
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Up to 50% of children from areas of social-economic deprivation start
school with transient language difficulties which may impact on their
learning in school if not addressed (Bercow Review 2007)
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Low income children lag behind their high income counterparts at school
entry by 16 months in vocabulary. The gap in language is much larger than
gaps in other cognitive skills (Waldfogel & Washbrook 2010)
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After controlling for a range of other factors, children who had normal nonverbal skills but poor vocabulary at age 5, are at age 34 almost twice as
likely to have mental health problems or to be unemployed than children
who had normally developing language at 5 (Law et al 2010)
The Situation in Southampton
Large numbers of children in Southampton have had
poor early experiences of communication/positive
relationships with caring adults/models of language
use
 Early language learning is contingent on
experiences which adults provide …
 Children who have early language experiences in
homes/settings where the quantity & quality of
language use is poor are highly likely to have
impoverished vocabulary development
 These children are more likely to struggle with
literacy skills in school
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Does Your Learning Environment …??
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Encourage independence & self-confidence?
Support children in planning & making choices?
Ensure that language learning opportunities are relevant to the children
because they occur in meaningful contexts?
Provide opportunities to develop Shared Sustained Thinking episodes
between adult/child?
Offer opportunities for children to interact with others or be alone?
Encourage a balance between action & calm, noise & quiet?
Celebrate through documentation & display, the learning that is taking
place?
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRITICALLY
OBSERVED THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE CHILDREN
SPEND TIME IN?
[OFSTED EARLY YEARS INSPECTION HANDBOOK]
Elizabeth Jarman Communication
Friendly Spaces

www.elizabethjarmanltd.co.uk
 An APPROACH
that can be used to benefit children
in all key stages & to support transition into KS1 &
KS 2
 Considers
impact of PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL
environment on communication & language skills
Audit Toolkit
 Communication
Supporting Classrooms
Observation Checklist (CSC) – available to
download from:
www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk
 ECaT
Environmental Audits: Enabling
Environment/ Learning & Development/ Positive
Relationships
 Locally developed ECERs/ITERs/FCCERs
checklists
o EYFS mapping for ECERs/ITERs/FCCERs helps
to identify specific targets
Communication Supporting
Classrooms
This tool considers 3 parameters:
 Physical
Environment
 Structured/Planned
Language Learning
Opportunities
 Adult
Interaction Styles
Physical Space
Taken from: Communication Friendly Spaces – Elizabeth Jarman
Noise
 Lighting
 Colour
 Clutter
 Texture
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ECaT Audit Tool: Enabling Environments
CSC Observation Tool: Language Learning Environment
(Parameter 1)
Structured Language Learning
Opportunities
 Holistic
approach: combination of individual/small group
work/whole class reinforcement: importance of opportunities
for GENERALISATION
 Planning
vocabulary: books/topics/themes/early words for
EAL
 Dialogic
book sharing: strategy that turns story sharing into
a language learning opportunity by planning vocabulary &
open-ended questions (Small-scale research project in
Sussex)
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ECaT Audit Tools: Learning & Development & Positive Relationships
CSC Observation Tool: Language Learning Opportunities (Parameter 2)
Why Plan Vocabulary?
 Impoverished
early experiences: language/activities/
interactions: Why talk to babies?
 Vocabulary learning should be ACTIVE planned
process supported by exposure to modelling by
adults & generous use of visual support
 Often children may need to hear new words 200 times to
generate a clear accurate template before then saying word
 Adults need to differentiate vocabulary chosen to match
current skill levels of all children (EAL children)
 Planning process should facilitate adults to reflect on own
language & choice of words
 Encourages planning of groups/activities to support
generalisation
Processing Model
LEXICAL REPRESENTATIONS/
PROCESSING
INPUT
OUTPUT
Vocabulary Activity
 Each
 Plan
group has specific topic
for a specific activity on this topic
 Identify
WHICH 10 words you want YOUR
children to learn
Working on Vocabulary
Sort words into these categories:
CORE
KEY
EXTENSION
Refer to Language for Literacy Word Web
(Nutbrown & Hannon 2011)
Language Learning Interactions
 How
do adults in the setting talk with children?
 Do all adults consistently use ALL Top Tips for Talking
with ALL children?
 Are adults able to adapt their own interaction style to
suit the communication & language levels of individual
children?
 How do adults use questions when interacting with
children in their setting/classroom?
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ECaT Audit Tool: Positive Relationships
CSC Observation Tool: Language Learning Interactions (Parameter 3)
Thinking about Interactions
 Interactions
can be verbal or non-verbal
 Meaningful interactions should be at least 4
turns
 Interactions should be well-supported by
signs/gestures
 Good quality interactions depend on wide
range of adult interaction styles/strategies
Observation Activity
DVD Clip 1: Sticking
 DVD Clip 2: Blocks
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Watch both clips
Complete observation tally chart for each clip
What do you notice?
10 Top Tips for Adults
Adult uses child’s name to draw attention
Adult gets down to child’s physical level
Adult uses some natural gestures & signing
Adult uses some real objects, photos,
symbols to teach new words
5. Adult uses slow pace during conversations
6. Adult pauses expectantly & frequently during
conversations
7. Adult confirms understanding of child’s
intentions
8. Adult imitates what child says (more or less
= recasting)
9. Adult comments on what child is doing
10. Adult extends on what child has said adding
extra information
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How can you achieve high
quality interactions
consistently?
ECaT
Positive Relationships Audit: looks
principally at QUANTITY of meaningful
adult/child interactions (also ECERs checklists)
Communication
Supporting Classrooms
Checklist (3rd parameter): looks at QUALITY of
adult interactions (also ECERs checklists)
Remember it’s the ADULTS who can make changes
to their interaction styles not the children
How are we supporting High Quality
Universal provision Across Southampton?
ECaT in preschool settings: termly Clubs/twilight
training/whole staff Universal level Phase 2/whole
staff introduction to signing/catch-up sessions
 From September: roll-out of Narrative groups in
settings [evidence-based intervention]
 Universal level whole staff training for FS teams
 Universal level training for Foster Carers/Child
Minders (termly Clubs for Child Minders too)
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Narrowing the Gap: Strand specific % AT RISK OF
DELAY from total cohort tracked 2014-2015
November 2014
June 15
Listening &
Attention
23%
18%
Social
Communication Skills
29%
24%
Understanding
23 %
21%
Talking
31%
28%
Narrowing the Gap: EYFSP Results
2013-2015
WEST CLUSTER
2013:
55.4%
NORTH CLUSTER
2013:
53.4%
2014:
2014:
65.1%
2015:
63.7%
2015:
69.6%
65.5%
SOUTH CLUSTER
2013:
47.5%
EAST CLUSTER
2013:
47.5%
2014:
2014:
60.4%
2015:
62.7%
57.7%
2015:
66%
Good Level of Development
Results:
2013:
National = 51%
Southampton = 50%
2014:
National = 60.3%
Southampton = 61.8%
2015:
National = 66.2%
Southampton = 66%