English at KS2 and physical impairment

The National Curriculum for English is statutory in all maintained, mainstream schools up to and including key stage 4. An appropriate version of the curriculum is used in maintained special schools. Key Stage 1 (KS1) covers years 1-2, children aged 5-7 years.

The challenges in KS2 are similar to those in KS1, but the volume of work is larger, which impacts on the effort required.

Continue to support the child in the same way as for KS1, but monitor the effectiveness of different physical and technological resources to find the most effective one for them.

You can:

• Use prepared resources to minimise the amount the pupil has to contribute physically, such as Cloze procedure. Cloze procedure is used to test understanding of key words or concepts without the pupil having to do a lot of writing: a text is given and key words are omitted, with a space for them to be filled in. Cloze can also use clues as to the correct word, such as a starting or finishing letter. For a pupil with physical difficulties it may be easier to fill in the blanks using a computer rather than do lots of writing.
• Try different ways of recording their work, such as word webs. A word web is where the key word is written as if the centre of a wheel and facts or ideas about the word can be written on the end of ‘spokes’ – these facts can also become centres of a smaller wheel. There is less writing involved than for conventional recording of ideas.
• Dramatise a section of a favourite book, and involve the pupil in playing a role, or directing or filming.