Curriculum content

Class/subject teachers ensure that:

• Speech and Language skills are incorporated in the school’s curriculum and reflected across all subjects.
  
  
• Teaching and learning opportunities are appropriately differentiated to take into account language levels and that there are appropriate levels of intellectual challenge and support. 
  
  
• Tasks are planned so that pupils are encouraged to talk through ideas with peers and adults.
  
  
• The language demands of the subject area are adjusted, when necessary, in order to improve access through:
  
  
  • Identifying sequential skills that are explicitly linked to prior learning.
    
    
  • Identifying target vocabulary and using pre and/or post tutoring if needed.
    
    
  • Differentiating by task, outcome or teaching materials.
    
    
  • Opportunities for distributed practice and interleaved learning.
    
    
• Language and communication skills are explicitly taught, for example:
  
  
  • Listening skills.
    
    
  • Participation in groups.
    
    
  • Turn taking.
    
    
  • Figurative speech, please see the book It's Raining Cats and Dogs.
    
    
  • Non-verbal communication.
    
    
• Vocabulary is explicitly taught by the following methods:
  
  
  • Linking new vocabulary to prior learning.
    
    
  • Adults using new vocabulary.
    
    
  • Using pictures/photos.
    
    
  • Using definitions.
    
    
  • Using actions.
    
    
  • Using synonyms.
    
    
  • Using direct instruction.
    
    
  • Recognising when new vocabulary is used by the children

Word Aware: Teaching Vocabulary across the day, across the curriculum is a good resource to use as a framework for teaching vocabulary in the classroom.  For information on the 3 tiers of vocabulary see the Mable website and for whole school approach to teaching vocabulary see the National Literacy Trust website. 

Other resources for teaching vocabulary include: 

• Closing the Vocabulary Gap by Alex Quigley,
  
  
• Bringing Words to Life by Beck,
  
  
• McKeown and Kucan
  
  
• and the Vocabulary Ninja website.

Time to Talk is a programme for 4-6 year old and can be used in the whole class, in groups or individually with children to develop language skills.

Talk for Writing is a recommended writing programme for in the classroom.

Language for Learning, Language for Thinking and Language for Writing are also an evidence-based language curriculum to use in the classroom that use Direct Instruction.

Please refer to the Communication Trust website for more ideas for a communication curriculum.