Preschool Communication Provision Audit Tool
Adults get down to the child’s level when interacting with them.
Natural gestures and some key word signing are used in interactions with children.
Pacing: Adult uses a slow pace during conversation.
Pausing: Adult pauses expectantly and frequently during interactions with children to encourage their turn-taking and active participation.
Commenting: Adult comments on what is happening or what children are doing at that time.
Extending: Adult repeats what child says and adds a small amount of information.
Adult provides children with choices (for example: “Would you like to read a story or play in the home corner?”)
Small Groups / Seen / Not seen / Comments
All children are included in small group work facilitated by an adult.
A group consists of 3-4 children.
Activities are supported by a visual timetable.
Adults actively use attention and listening symbols.
Turn-taking is encouraged.
Activities have a clear goal or end point.
Each activity is appropriate for the child’s level of skill.
Bags/ boxes are used to take out toys and put them away.
Adult models language that the children are not producing yet.
Children have opportunities to use language with adult and peers.
Children have opportunities to engage in interactive book reading+ adult (e.g. asking predictive questions,completing sentences).
Environment / Seen / Not seen / Comments
The furniture is arranged to promote eye contact and face to face communication.
Background noise is kept to a minimum (e.g. CD players and radios are turned off.
Space for privacy/quiet areas where children can retreat to have ‘down time’ or engage in smaller group activities. These areas are less visually distracting.
The setting currently has a variety of clearly defined spaces both indoors and outdoors.
There are areas where natural light is maximised, windows are not restricted through painting and blinds.
Displays are not excessive; the use of colour is not over powering.
Role play area is available.
Good quality toys, small world objects and real/natural resources are available.
Children can easily see what resources are available to them and they are organised clearly into clear boxes or neutral baskets.
Name of setting:
What we want to improve / Actions / People responsible / How and who to monitor progress / Success criteria, relating to children’s outcomes where possible / Target dateDate:Signature: