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What are Blank Levels?
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What are Blank Levels?
What are Blank Levels 1-4?
The Blank Levels of Questioning, sometimes known as the Language of Learning model, was developed by Blank, Rose and Berlin in 1978. The main aim is to develop children’s verbal reasoning and abstract language skills. There are 4 levels of questioning which move from simple and concrete questions to more difficult and abstract questions. The questions encourage development of general language and vocabulary, as well as skills in comprehension, reasoning, inferencing, predicting and problem solving.
Watch this 6 minute video on What are Blank Levels?
Level 1 – Naming things
At this level, your child will be able to apply language to what your child sees in the world. The information is directly in front of them, or recently removed. Responses are short or non-verbal, for example, pointing.
| Level 1 | Example question |
| Scanning for a matching object | Find me one like this |
| Identifying an object by sound and touch | Show me what you heard or touched |
| Naming an object heard, touched and seen | What did you hear or touch? What is this? |
| Imitating a simple sentences | Say this… |
| Remembering pictured objects | What did you see? |
| Remembering incidental information | What did you see? |
Strategies and examples of questions at Blank Level 1 – Naming
Level 2 – Describing things
At this level, the information is supplied, but not directly apparent. Your child has to select what to attend to, such as, size, colour, and function of an object.
| Level 2 | Example question |
| Scanning for an object defined by its function | Find one that can… |
| Describing a scene | What is happening? |
| Recalling items named in a statement | What things..? |
| Recalling information from a statement | Who? What? Where? |
| Completing a sentence | Finish this… |
| Concepts: Naming characteristics and functions of objects | Tell me its… |
| Concepts: Attending to two characteristics | Find one that is… and … |
| Concepts: Identifying differences | How are these things different? |
| Concepts: Citing an example within a category | Name something that is a … |
Strategies and examples of questions at Blank Level 2 – Describing
Level 3 – Talking about stories and events
At this level, the language does not relate directly to what your child sees or hears, but instead your child must think and reorder the information given. Certain basic facts must be considered and evaluated before responding.
| Level 3 | Example question |
| Scanning for an object by integrating verbal and visual information | Find one to use with this |
| Describing events subsequent to a scene | What will happen next? |
| Assuming the role of another person | What could he say? |
| Following a set of directions | Do this, then this |
| Arranging pictures in a sequence | Make these into… |
| Formulating a set of directions | Tell me how to… |
| Formulating a generalisation about a set of events | What happened to all of these? |
| Formulating a statement to unify a sequence of pictures | Tell this story |
| Concepts: Identifying similarities | How are these the same? |
| Concepts: Selecting an object by exclusion | Find the ones that are not… |
| Concepts: Selecting a set of objects by exclusion | Find things that are not… |
| Concepts: Citing an example by excluding a specific object | Name something that can… but is not a … |
| Concepts: Citing an example by excluding a class of objects | Name something that is not a… |
| Concepts: Defining words | What is a…? |
| Unusual imitations | Say this… |
Strategies and examples of questions at Blank Level 3 – Talking about stories and events
Level 4 – Solving problems
At this level, your child has to reason beyond what is seen, heard or said. Your child needs to draw on past experiences, make parallels, examine causes and likely effects, as well as justify the decision made.
| Level 4 | Example question |
| Predicting: Changes in position | Where will…? |
| Predicting: Changes in structure | What will happen if…? |
| Justifying a prediction | Why will…? |
| Justifying a decision: Essential characteristics | Why wouldn’t it…? |
| Justifying a decision: Non-essential characteristics | Why would it…? |
| Identifying the causes of an event | What made it happen? |
| Formulating a solution | What could you do? |
| Formulating a solution from another’s perspective | What could she do? |
| Selecting the means to a goal | What could we use? |
| Explaining the means to a goal | Why should we use that? |
| Explaining the construction of objects | Why is… made of that? |
| Explaining an inference drawn from an observation | How can we tell? |
| Explaining the logic of compound words | Why is this called…? |
| Explaining the obstacles to an action | Why can’t we…? |
Strategies and examples of questions at Blank Level 4 – Problem solving
Additional resources and information
The videos below have been created by Barnsley Children’s Speech and Language Therapy service
Blank level questioning
Time: 7 minutes 43 seconds
How to use blanks at home
Time: 1 minute 19 seconds
Blanks at home – Living room
Time: 2 minutes 44 seconds
Blanks at home – Kitchen
Time: 2 minutes 36 seconds
Blanks at home – Bedroom
Time: 2 minutes 22 seconds
Blanks at home – Bathroom
Time: 2 minutes 41 seconds
Teaching vocabulary using word webs:
Contact us
For more information please contact the Speech and Language Therapy Service at Flockton House.
Telephone: 0114 226 2333
Email: scn-tr.slt-sheffield@nhs.net
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Disclaimer
Please note: this is a generic information sheet relating to care at Sheffield Children’s NHS FT. These details may not reflect treatment at other hospitals. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professionals’ instructions. If this resource relates to medicines, please read it alongside the medicine manufacturer’s patient information leaflet. If this information has been translated into another language from English, efforts have been made to maintain accuracy, but there may still be some translation errors. If you are unsure about any of the guidance in this resource or have specific questions about how it relates to your child, always ask your healthcare professional for further advice.
Resource number: SL230
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