Communication and Language

Our Communication, Language and Literacy Curriculum

Communication and Language

At Castle Wood, our objective is to provide children with a means to communicate. The ability to communicate will ensure that children are able to achieve success across the Castle Wood Curriculum and are able to access opportunities in school, in the community and wherever their journey takes them.

We constantly consider the ‘three Ms’: a ‘motivation’ (a reason) for communicating, A ‘means’ (a method) of communicating, a ‘mate’ (a partner or partners) to communicate to. Our school is a ‘Total Communication Environment’ and special care is taken to ensure that children are supported to practise and refine their communication skills in free play and structured or adult led sessions. Examples of this include communication boards, the use of devices such as talking tins, the teaching and use of Makaton and the inclusion of pictures, TOBIs and objects of reference in the classroom environment.

A combination of explicit, direct teaching and cross-curricular application enables children to consolidate their communication skills whilst accessing the curriculum, expressing themselves and building relationships with others.

  

Communication board

 

 

TOBIs

 

Sentence strips

 

 

Attention and Understanding

At Castle Wood, we understand that children need to explicitly develop attention and understanding skills.

Through sustained attention and broader understanding, more meaningful communication, and therefore connections, can be made with individuals and the world around us.

We use a variety of interventions and techniques to support sustained attention. Attention Autism (known as ‘Bucket’) sessions support children to pay attention, sustain attention, shift attention and re-engage attention. In addition, children access a range of intensive interaction activities to promote enjoyment of being with, relating to and interacting with other people.

 TACPAC

Focussing attention

 

Sustaining attention

 

Shifting attention 

Re-engaging attention

Intensive Interaction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children are taught to understand high interest and personalised vocabulary as well as subject specific vocabulary in order to be able to access a full curriculum and develop and communicate their own personal preferences. We use work station activities, adult led play and opportunities during free play to develop children’s understanding as part of a personalised approach.

 

Understanding phrases

Matching objects and pictures

Understanding single words

Sorting and grouping

 

Reading and writing

At Castle Wood School we promote a love for reading and a ‘reading culture’ through a broad and varied literacy diet. We believe that all children can access books and literacy experiences regardless of their stage of development. Children have access to reading areas and a school library and staff model enjoyment of and interaction with books. Well-chosen texts support curriculum themes and enable children to experience the world through shared and guided reading sessions, sensory stories and free exploration of texts.

Retelling a story

Reading for pleasure

Sensory story

Synthetic phonics is one method of learning to read and write. Where appropriate, children enjoy 1:1 or small group phonics sessions using Read Write Inc resources. Additionally, children are taught and use sight vocabulary.

Writing has strong links with physical development and the use of fine motor activities, mark making and messy play. Children are taught to make controlled movements in order to convey meaning through marks.

Each year, children take part in an author study. This allows children to experience texts and stories from a range of authors and to become immersed in stories in a cross curricular way. Children have the opportunity to enjoy a story or series of stories over time and to benefit from repetition and depth in their learning.