Questioning

Resist asking too many questions when children are learning to communicate as this can distract the child and put them under unnecessary pressure.

To encourage communication:

• Get down to the child’s level
• Give time for the child to respond 
• Use the child’s name to attract their attention
• Reduce background noise
• Offer a running commentary of the child’s play instead of asking questions
• Focus on the child’s interests rather than introducing something new

Create communication-friendly classrooms where pictures and symbols are used to organise and label resources and picture timetables and schedules help children understand the sequence of the day. A classroom that is divided into small spaces and activity zones will encourage better communication.

Resources

A communication passport can help ensure that the systems are consistent between home and school.