Singing and Signing
15 minutes
It?s morning assembly. Over 400 pupils and staff at Carden Primary School are singing and signing the school song. Carden is one of the few schools to use Makaton symbols and signs (from British Sign Language) throughout the school.
With 44 per cent of pupils with SEN, the staff, all Makaton trained, have found the strategy invaluable for inclusion as well as being useful to the ablest pupils.
How do you implement a signing policy in your school? This programme analyses how it works and how it helps. Headteacher Lesley Corbett explains that it was the success of pupils in the school?s Speech and Language centre using signing that influenced her decision to introduce it into mainstream.
In reception, pupils begin with key signs such as "stop", "no" and "toilet". ?Every member of staff knows the sign for "toilet" with a degree of urgency,? says Lesley Corbett.
Begin with basic, key signs
Every member of staff in the class should be familiar with these and should use them as often as possible
Successful signing is very important in aiding inclusion
For more tips on how to implement signing in your classroom, visit the resources and support materials page for this programme.
Previous programme:
Speech and Language Strategies