Using The Literary Curriculum in ARP and other SEND settings

Our raison d’etre is to ensure that every child has access to quality literature and we firmly believe that this is a right; an entitlement of each and every child. This applies not just to mainstream primary settings but also to Additionally Resourced Provision classes (ARPs)/SEND settings as well as Pupil Referral Units, hospital schools and home-learners… And what we believe is the beauty of our approach is that it centres on pedagogy and how that can be the focus for working with children and literature rather than delivering curriculum content to get the coverage. In 2017 we made a leap into the realms of creating a suite of sequences for EYFS after several of our schools had suggested that this is something they would like to have access to. We say ‘leap’ but it really wasn't a leap at all as we came to realise that the thinking behind all of the sequences that sat within KS1 and KS2 centeredaround what – it transpired – are very ‘early years’ friendly ways of thinking: over-learning; immersion; using models and images; allowing children to have a go and – sometimes – discovery learning rather than direct teaching. So, the fact that all of our offer – regardless of year group material sits within - has elements of early-years best practice means that our approach can then be adapted for any child in any setting. A truly inclusive approach! So, here are some things to consider when using The Literary Curriculum in either an ARP/other SEND setting: 

Choice of text:

One question we’re often asked is how to select a text that will work for a class that although usually only has up to 12-14 pupils, may have children with a wide range of cognitive and physical abilities and very different interests from one another. And so we recommend books that have scope for both rich discussion based on complexities that might be found in the text as well as a tangible plot or structure to aid children’s comprehension. It’s always best to choose texts (and this applies to all children) that match interest level more so than attainment level otherwise, for children who decode at an age-level that is lower than their actual age, a text that matches their decoding ability may not engage enough.  

Adapting the sequence:

Once the right text has been selected, the planning sequence adaptations then must take into accountphysical and/or cognitive needs that might preclude children from communicating in print as well as the fact that an ARP/SEND class will very likely have children of different ages. We might plan the use of manipulatives and tactile resources that may be used in a mainstream setting, just with an extra sensory layer such as sentence strips with colour-coding to use ‘colourful semantics’; letter formation activities may involve tactile letters using velvet and sandpaper so that the children ‘feel’ the shape and learn how to follow using the correct direction.  

Delivering the offer:

We believe that length of time and pace is an important consideration when planning to use Literary Curriculum Sequences. Whilst each planning sequence indicates how many sessions/weeks that might be allocated to the studying of the focus text, we like to think a little more flexibly when working in an ARP/other SEND setting: you may wish to disregard certain sessions as they aren’t appropriate for the learners; equally, some sessions may need to be extended in order to deepen understanding and some sessions may need to be repeated over a few days or left available to children to access with their 1-1- support person as part of continuous provision.

Capturing evidence:

In terms of planning how to evidence outcomes, especially for those children who can’t easily articulate their ideas, one suggestion might be composition using electronic caption buttons for the children to record themselves. Floor-books to collect evidence for all children around a shared text might be an effective method of capturing the learning sequence. In essence, we can support ARPs to plan to use the types of pedagogy (and texts!) that we believe are ‘good for all’ and -crucially- support practitioners in developing a language-rich, inclusive approach using literature that is aligned with the mainstream school that they work alongside.

Posted in: Curriculum