Communication support framework – band 5 targeted provision

What is the communication support framework?

The communication support framework is a framework developed by the speech and language therapy service in Sheffield Children’s Hospital. It is based on the Communication At The Heart of the School framework (CATHS).

The communication support framework includes 6 banded levels that describe the communication skills that a child may have or be developing, and relevant recommendations for that level of development.

What does band 5 communication level mean?

A child developing at band 5 communication presents with the communication skills typical of a child aged 4 to 8 years old. Children at this stage are refining their ability to describe their environment and their experiences. Prediction and problem solving and reasoning skills are developing.

What can I do to help my child at this level?

Universal strategies to support all children at this developmental level can be found here.

• Use language that teaches vocabulary and supports prediction and problem solving skills.

What if my child needs more help?

Children with specialist educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with communication developing at band 5 level may be referred to as a child who is developing their language at Blank level 3 or Language Level B, describing and sequencing events and making predictions, and Blank level 4 or Language Level C, problem solving and reasoning. They may also be referred to as a SCERTS Conversation Partner.

You should use the ideas that are in the universal strategy links above.

You should also implement more targeted approaches, for example:

• Use blank level 4 strategies to support sequencing and problem solving from a single perspective for example story mats, problem solving frames
• Make and use vocabulary mats and or dictionaries that include vocabulary such as nouns, verbs, concepts, as appropriate for the session such as:
  • Curriculum – English, history, science and so on
  • Emotions and behaviour or safety policies such as ‘embarrassed’, ‘sanction’
  • Time concepts such as first, last, morning, afternoon, days of the week, tomorrow and yesterday
  • Inference and reasoning words such as ‘justify’, ‘explain’
• Support your child to monitor their own comprehension 

Your child’s school should also implement targeted language interventions:

• Pre-teaching vocabulary groups should be in place as a rolling intervention.
• Pre-teach vocabulary groups for nouns, verbs, concepts, location, emotions, time concepts, inference and reasoning concepts
• Read more on Pre-teaching vocabulary

In addition to above, you should implement the targeted language interventions below. You should implement 1 intervention at a time.

• Vocabulary improvement programme (VIP)
• Narrative intervention programme (NIP) 
• Language for behaviour and emotions toolkits
  • ‘Saying when you don’t understand’
  • ‘Talking about feelings’, ‘What’s that feeling called?’ and ‘Dealing with feelings’
  • ‘Finding clues and explaining your thinking’ at Language Level C
  • ‘The story’ at Language Level C
  • ‘Solving people problems’ at Language Level C

If the above recommendations are in place, and you feel that your child may require specialist support, you can:

• Discuss a referral to the speech and language therapy service with your child’s SENCO, using our specialist service referral criteria