Question 1

How does Wellcomm work?

Accepted Answer

A trained educator works individually with each child, following the instructions and prompts provided by the platform. Depending on the child’s age, they may be asked to look at pictures, point to objects, follow instructions, answer questions, describe something or take part in a short conversation. The educator observes the child’s response and records a simple Yes or No for each item.The platform selects the appropriate starting point based on the child’s age and guides the educator through the screening process. Each age section contains approximately ten items, so screening can generally be completed in around 15–20 minutes, although this will vary depending on the child.Once the screening is complete, WellComm:calculates the child’s resultspresents an easy-to-understand red, amber or green outcomeidentifies the areas in which support may be neededrecommends targeted activities matched to the child’s resultsallows educators to record and monitor progress over time.The platform includes 150 targeted activities that can be used with individuals, small groups or whole classes. Activities can also be shared with parents and whānau to support learning at home.WellComm is a screening tool, not a formal diagnosis. Its purpose is to help educators identify possible needs early, provide immediate support and determine whether further advice or specialist assessment may be appropriate.

Question 2

What age range does the framework support?

Accepted Answer

The framework supports ākonga from approximately 6 months to 11 years of age, depending on the WellComm assessment materials and the needs of the school or ECE service.

Question 3

How does this connect with Te Whāriki and Te Mātaiaho?

Accepted Answer

Coactive Education provides implementation support and documentation to help schools and ECE services connect oral language assessment and teaching responses with Te Whāriki, Te Mātaiaho, local curriculum priorities, and culturally responsive practice.

Question 4

What is Coactive Education’s role?

Accepted Answer

Coactive Education supports the implementation of WellComm in Aotearoa New Zealand contexts. This includes supporting schools and ECE services to use the tool appropriately, interpret data, connect findings to teaching responses, and align implementation with local curriculum, Te Whāriki, Te Mātaiaho, culturally responsive practice, and whānau engagement.

Question 5

Does WellComm work for non-verbal or pre-verbal children?

Accepted Answer

Yes. WellComm Early Years begins from six months of age and includes opportunities to observe behaviour, interaction and non-verbal communication. This means it can be used with babies and children who are pre-verbal or who communicate primarily through gesture, facial expression, pointing or other forms of communication.The educator should consider all the ways the child communicates, rather than looking only for spoken answers. For some items, a child may demonstrate understanding by looking, pointing, selecting a picture, following an instruction or using an established communication system.However, WellComm is not designed to diagnose the reason a child is non-verbal, and it is not an autism assessment. Results should be interpreted alongside the educator’s knowledge of the child, observations from whānau and, where appropriate, advice from a speech-language therapist or other specialist.

Question 6

Does the subscription include access to WellComm?

Accepted Answer

The model has two connected parts: access to the WellComm platform and the Coactive Education support subscription. The WellComm platform access fee and Coactive support subscription fee are listed separately in this document.

Question 7

Can WellComm be used with children who have additional or special learning needs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. WellComm can be used in mainstream schools, early childhood settings, specialist settings and special schools. It can help educators build a clearer picture of a child’s communication strengths and identify areas in which targeted teaching or further support may be needed.Educators should use professional judgement when screening children with additional needs. A child’s response may be affected by factors such as:hearing or vision differencesphysical or motor needsattention or sensory needsintellectual or developmental disabilityanxiety or unfamiliarity with the adultuse of augmentative and alternative communication, or AACEnglish being an additional language.Reasonable adjustments can be made to help the child access the activity, provided the educator remains clear about what skill the item is intended to screen. Any adjustments and relevant observations should be recorded when interpreting the result.WellComm should form one part of a broader picture. It does not replace specialist diagnostic assessment, an individual education plan or advice from a speech-language therapist, psychologist, occupational therapist or other relevant professional.

Question 8

What elements of oral language does WellComm screen?

Accepted Answer

WellComm looks at a broad range of speech, language and communication skills. The exact skills vary according to the child’s age and stage of development.For children aged approximately six months to six years, WellComm Early Years considers developmental milestones across areas including:attention and listeningunderstanding spoken languageexpressive language and communicationvocabularysentence development and grammarmemoryinference and the ability to understand meaning beyond what is directly statedearly social communication.For children aged approximately six to eleven years, WellComm Primary explores:understanding and following spoken languagelistening and recalling informationvocabulary knowledge and word retrievalsentence structure and grammarusing spoken language to explain ideasnarrative skills, including sequencing and retellinginferencesocial communication skills.WellComm may help educators notice difficulties with speech-sound production or articulation, but it does not include a specific speech-sound assessment. Children with concerns about pronunciation, speech clarity, fluency or voice may still require advice from a speech-language therapist.

Question 9

What technology do we need to administer WellComm?

Accepted Answer

WellComm Digital is accessed online through a supported web browser. There is no student app for the child to independently complete; the screening is administered by an educator working directly with the child.There are two ways to administer it:Fully digital administrationTwo internet-connected devices are used:one device for the educator, displaying the instructions and scoringone device for the child, displaying the pictures and visual prompts.Hybrid administrationOne internet-connected device is used by the educator, while the child looks at the accompanying physical WellComm picture book.Suitable devices may include:a laptopa desktop computera Chromebooka tablet with a screen of at least seven inches.A modern, updated web browser and a stable internet connection are required. No specialist microphone, headset or voice-recognition technology is needed because the educator observes and records the child’s responses. Renaissance advises that its browser-based products work on tablets of seven inches or larger and on Chromebooks, although services should confirm the current WellComm system requirements before implementation.For the best experience, screening should take place in a quiet, comfortable space where the child can clearly see the pictures, hear the educator and respond without unnecessary distractions.

Question 10

Does the subscription include individual learner assessment by a Speech Language Therapist?

Accepted Answer

No. The standard subscription does not include individual clinical assessment, diagnosis, or therapy for individual learners. Speech Language Therapist input within the subscription is intended to provide general guidance, Q&A, referral pathway advice, and support for evidence-informed teaching responses. Individual learner consultation may be purchased separately as an additional service, where available

Question 11

Is there a minimum subscription period?

Accepted Answer

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Coactive Education support subscription is intended to operate for a minimum 12-month period to support sustainable implementation, staff capability building, data use, and ongoing teaching response.

Question 12

What is included in the subscription?

Accepted Answer

The subscription includes ongoing foundation-level support such as implementation guidance, curriculum alignment documentation, online training opportunities, leader workshops, support with data analysis, Speech Language Therapist Q&A opportunities, guidance on teaching responses, whānau information hui, and reasonable phone or online support for implementation-related questions.

Question 13

Is Coactive Education the exclusive WellComm partner in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

Coactive Education is the exclusive partner for the WellComm product in Aotearoa New Zealand and supports the integration of the tool into local education contexts in culturally responsive and relevant ways.

Question 14

Does Coactive Education create individual intervention plans for every learner?

Accepted Answer

The subscription provides guidance to help schools and ECE services identify appropriate teaching responses, group interventions, and next steps based on WellComm data. Individualised learner planning, written clinical reports, or intensive casework are not included unless purchased separately as an additional service.

Question 15

How does this support Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 responses?

Accepted Answer

The framework helps kaiako and leaders use oral language information to plan responses at different levels. Tier 1 support may include universal oral language strategies across the learning environment. Tier 2 support may include targeted small-group teaching or intervention. Tier 3 support may include referral pathways, specialist advice, and more individualised support planning.

Question 16

Can this be used in both English-medium and Māori-medium or other total immersion or bilingual  contexts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the framework can support oral language development across all Aotearoa New Zealand education settings. Implementation should be considered carefully in relation to each setting’s language priorities, cultural context, local curriculum, and whānau aspirations. Coactive Education works with services and schools to support appropriate and responsive use in languages other than English.

Question 17

What are the responsibilities of the school or ECE service?

Accepted Answer

The school or ECE service is responsible for nominating a lead contact, ensuring relevant staff attend training, administering assessments appropriately, managing privacy and consent obligations, entering and maintaining accurate learner information, using guidance professionally, and communicating implementation needs with Coactive Education.

Question 18

Who owns the data collected through WellComm?

Accepted Answer

Student data is managed by Renaissance through the WellComm platform. Coactive Education does not access student-level data or individual learner records. Schools and ECE services remain responsible for managing learner information in accordance with their own privacy, consent, and record-keeping obligations. During support sessions, Coactive Education recommends using aggregated or de-identified information wherever possible.

Question 19

Can Coactive Education help us interpret our WellComm data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Support with understanding and interpreting your WellComm results is included in the subscription. This may include helping your team identify patterns of oral language need, consider appropriate teaching responses, and use aggregated or de-identified information to support planning and review.Coactive Education does not access student-level data or individual learner records within the WellComm platform. Schools remain responsible for deciding what information they share during support sessions.

Question 20

Can we use this framework to support learning support referrals?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The framework can help schools and ECE services gather useful information about learner oral language needs and identify when referral pathways may be appropriate. However, the framework does not replace specialist assessment, clinical diagnosis, or formal learning support eligibility processes.

Question 21

What happens if staff change during the year?

Accepted Answer

The subscription includes ongoing online training opportunities across the year, which can support new staff to understand the framework. If more intensive new staff training is required, this can be purchased as an additional service.

Question 22

Can corporate ECE, multi site ECE, school clusters, or multi-site schools use this model?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the framework may be suitable for these groups. Pricing, access, training numbers, and implementation support would need to be agreed separately based on the size and needs of the group.

Question 23

Can we cancel the subscription?

Accepted Answer

Cancellation terms should be confirmed in the final agreement. Coactive Education may require aThe WellComm subscription is subject to WellComm's terms and conditions and can be cancelled at the end of the annual subscription period, as outlined in their agreement. The Coactive Education PLD subscription can be cancelled with 30 days' written notice.

Question 24

What happens at the end of the subscription period?

Accepted Answer

At the end of the subscription period, the school or ECE service may renew, adjust, or conclude the support arrangement, subject to the terms of the agreement and any ongoing WellComm licensing requirements.

Question 25

Who should sign the agreement?

Accepted Answer

The agreement should be signed by an authorised representative of the school, ECE service, organisation, or governing body who has authority to approve the purchase and accept the terms and conditions.

Question 26

Who do we contact for support?

Accepted Answer

The school or ECE service should nominate a lead contact for communication with Coactive Education. Coactive Education will confirm the appropriate contact person, email address, and support process once the agreement is in place.

Question 27

Who can administer WellComm?

Accepted Answer

WellComm is designed so that it can be administered by educators and other professionals without specialist speech-language qualifications. This may include teachers, kaiako, teacher aides, learning support staff, SENCOs, health visitors and speech-language therapists.Anyone administering the screening should first complete the relevant training and become familiar with the administration and scoring guidance. Consistent administration is important so that results are meaningful and can be compared over time.

Question 28

Does the platform listen to or automatically analyse the child’s speech?

Accepted Answer

No. WellComm is not an automated voice-recognition test. It does not record the child and use artificial intelligence to judge their speech.The screening is educator-led. The educator presents each activity, listens to or observes the child’s response and records whether the item has been achieved. This allows the educator to take account of the child’s context, communication style and behaviour during the interaction.

Question 29

Can WellComm be used with bi/multilingual children?

Accepted Answer

Yes. WellComm can be used with multilingual children, but results should be interpreted alongside what is known about the child’s skills across all their languages.Where possible, children should be screened in their strongest language. If screening is completed in English, the result may reflect the child’s stage of English-language learning rather than their overall language ability.Educators should also gather information from whānau about the languages the child understands and uses. Concerns that appear across all the child’s languages may indicate a need for further support.Multilingualism does not cause language difficulties, and families should continue using their home languages.

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