Ensure no child is left behind by creating communication-friendly environments. Early childhood settings are vibrant, lively spaces. But all that energy can sometimes overshadow one essential ingredient – communication.
While it may seem like children naturally pick up communication skills, there’s a lot that educators can do to actively support language development. In this blog, Anne Vize explores what it means to create a communication-friendly environment – one that supports all learners, including those with diverse speech and language needs.
With practical strategies, inclusive teaching approaches, and collaboration tips, you’ll gain insights to foster stronger connections and confident communicators. Ready to transform your learning space into one where every voice is heard and valued? Let’s dive in.
Setting your scene for a communication-friendly environment
If you work with young children, you probably already know that an early years setting can be a busy, noisy and action-packed place to be! There is often a lot going on, with children and educators moving, talking, discussing and sharing activities and experiences. It’s tempting in the midst of all the action to feel that communication is something which simply takes care of itself, rather than needing to be explicitly and deliberately taught. In fact, there is a great deal you can do as an educator to help create a communication-friendly environment which meets communication needs in early childhood.
Why communication support is critical for inclusive early learning
Communication is a fundamental part of inclusive early childhood education. Communication helps young children:
- make sense of the world around them
- express their thoughts, feelings and preferences
- and build relationships with other people.
It is through communication that children learn to ask questions, make comments, share their own voice and opinions and find out how to solve problems.
Communication is critical for inclusive early learning because it begins to build a shared platform of experiences, skills and knowledge across which children can grow over time. They learn that communication does not look and sound the same for everyone, but that everyone in an inclusive early years environment has a voice which is powerful, individual and valued.
Recognising and supporting diverse communication needs in ECE
Children in early childhood education settings can have diverse communication needs.
- For some children, their speech and language skills may be impacted by developmental language disorder which affects their receptive and expressive language skills.
- Some children may experience difficulties with fluency and find it harder to produce speech sounds clearly and fluently so they can be understood by others.
- Some children may learn to communicate through sign, gesture or using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) such as a tablet, switch, communication book, signing, eye pointing or gesture.
You may notice that children who are on the autism spectrum may have a different pattern to their speech and language development. They may communicate in unique ways, with some skills developing quickly and others taking a little longer.
Autistic children:
- may prefer not to use eye contact
- might have an uneven pattern of speech and language development
- and may choose to focus on topics which matter to them as a priority.
As an educator, learning a little about supporting diverse learners in inclusive early childhood education can help you create an environment in which communication skills can grow and thrive.
How to create communication-friendly environments
A communication-friendly environment is a great way of supporting diverse learners in inclusive early childhood education and enhancing participation through communication. Communication-friendly environments mean thinking about how to prioritise language development in inclusive settings, so that the strategies you use to support children who have speech and language difficulties will also support the communication skills of all children.
Creating communication-friendly environments means thinking about three important areas.
Strategies used by adults
Collaborative planning in early childhood helps as we develop strategies that support communication for all children. This could mean:
- focusing on new and interesting words
- building a vocabulary around a book or song
- sharing an AAC approach that supports a child to participate in a game or learning experience
- or recording achievements and new skills as they develop.
Opportunities to communicate
Children cannot communicate if there aren’t opportunities to do so. If we create opportunities by asking questions, making comments, being interested and engaged in what children do and say, and building in those important moments of silence into which a child can share their voice, we are creating opportunities to communicate.
Physical environment
The layout of a room or outdoor space, along with the equipment, learning tools, lighting and furniture can make a big difference to enhancing participation through communication for young children.
Look, listen and notice what is around you in your learning space, then think how it might affect communication:
- Are there some changes you could make to support children with speech and language difficulties?
- Could you increase soft furnishings to reduce distractions and make it easier for children to focus their attention?
- Are there visual supports and AAC tools in early learning which can be placed so they are quick and easy to access?
Teaching strategies that foster expressive and receptive language
There are many teaching strategies that foster expressive and receptive language in an inclusive early years setting. Using play-based learning experiences, dance and song, sensory toys and visual schedules can all help build new skills for young children. Planning collaboratively with other early years educators means everyone knows and understands how to provide specific strategies to support language development in the setting. For some children, a strong, predictable routine and the use of visual schedules and AAC systems such as switches, communication devices or key word signing are a great way of enhancing participation through communication.
Collaborating with families and specialists to support a communication-friendly environment
A communication friendly environment does not happen in an early childhood setting or school by accident, but rather by careful, deliberate planning and design. Collaborating with families and specialists such as speech pathologists can help plan the tools, strategies and areas of focus which are most important. A collaborative approach helps provide consistency and predictability for children. It also means that communication develops in context, within the rich, vital framework of family, culture and community.
If you would like to learn more for your ECE setting, check out my latest release. Part of my Inclusive Education series, Inclusive Education – Communication Needs is a practical and evidence-informed resource to support educators in embedding inclusive practices in ECE. Create communication-friendly environments where every child can express themselves, connect with others, and thrive as an active participant in their learning.
About the author
Anne Vize specialises in writing for children and young people who learn in different and unique ways. She is a special educator and writer from Melbourne and works to develop print and digital resources for children, their teachers and supporters. She works in the vocational sector developing learning resources for training providers and creates freelance content to support the new vocational major curriculum in Victoria. Anne is fortunate to be able to divide her time between writing and exploring the wonders of sailing and windsurfing on the stunning Port Phillip Bay.
