Rainbow II Language Unit
Children in Rainbow II are typically between the ages of seven and nine, although slightly younger or older children may be considered. Some of these children have moved on from Rainbow I while others come new to the unit from outside provision. Most children have a statement of special educational needs although this is not a requirement
Here we provide the necessary specialist support and a highly differentiated curriculum which takes into consideration both the abilities, learning styles and, above all, the specific nature of the language/literacy/numeracy difficulties of each child.
With full inclusion our ultimate goal, the time table follows that of the mainstream to facilitate integration in subjects such as sport activities. It also means that where a child is particularly able arrangements can be made for them to join a mainstream class for that particular subject. (Please click here for more information on the mainstream school here. )
Like Rainbow I, teaching and learning in Rainbow II follows a language–focused curriculum where opportunities for language learning are optimised throughout the school day. This way each child’s speech, language and communication targets can be incorporated into both scholastic and recreational activities, thus increasing the likelihood that language- learning is consolidated and generalised to new situations, people and settings. This is possible due to the level of specialist knowledge, high adult-child ratio, and the work ethos whereby all unit staff, including the speech and language therapist, are actively involved in the setting of linguistic and cognitive targets for each child.Here we provide the necessary specialist support and a highly differentiated curriculum which takes into consideration both the abilities, learning styles and, above all, the specific nature of the language/literacy/numeracy difficulties of each child.
With full inclusion our ultimate goal, the time table follows that of the mainstream to facilitate integration in subjects such as sport activities. It also means that where a child is particularly able arrangements can be made for them to join a mainstream class for that particular subject. (Please click here for more information on the mainstream school here. )
A Theme-Based Spiral Curriculum
Particular emphasis is placed on talk in Rainbow II and opportunities for this are built into the curriculum. Often the experiences of children with expressive speech or language difficulties have not been very happy in this regard, and some children become reluctant to express ideas for fear of ridicule by their peers.
 | Rainbow II has a high adult: child ratio where the
children are given many opportunities to engage in conversations
supported by staff who are aware of, and sensitive to their
difficulties; staff who also recognise the importance of listening. Many Rainbow children also have some degree of difficulty with the social use of language so fostering opportunities for peer to peer conversation is equally important. |
Why a Theme-Based Curriculum?
The language–focused curriculum described above is based on the areas of learning and programmes of study set out at Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum. However, like Bruner (1978), we believe firmly that learning must be through discovery and enquiry where interest in what is being taught will be the ‘best stimulus to learning”. To facilitate this, we organise these areas of learning into content themes rather than deliver them only as discrete units such as the ‘Literacy Hour or the Numeracy Hour’.
This type of learning experience is very effective in ensuring that learning does not take place in a void as the children can see the relevance of what they are being asked to learn.
 | An example of a content – theme carried out by Rainbow II children was ‘Our family’. It involved ICT and map reading through a search on Google Earth of where they live; geography where distant relative live, maths to calculate the number and proportion of different relations and family members; the drawing of graphs involved scientific enquiry, while literacy was promoted through the writing and reading of short descriptions to attach to the photographs the children had brought of their families for their classroom display. |
Why A Spiral Curriculum?
As a direct result of their language-learning difficulties, children who join Rainbow II often have gaps in their knowledge base which slows up subsequent progress. For example, unlike mainstream peers, a child may not have learned to blend individual sounds together proficiently when learning to read as, at that stage, they were still uncertain of the relationship between letters and sounds. Another child may not have fully grasped the meaning of certain maths vocabulary when first presented so essential to understanding and carrying out even simple mathematical problems.Through a spiral curriculum, basic concepts are revisited and re-examined regularly. Here, with staff aware of each child’s current level of ability, they can scaffold learning so that the child is stretched and challenged to expand and build on their understanding, each time reaching greater depth and sophistication.
The Hidden Curriculum
This refers to a range of social norms and values which pupils acquire consciously or unconsciously that are not taught directly through the curriculum  | As Meighan (1981) suggests, during their time at school, children ‘are picking-up an approach to living and an attitude to learning’ which, we believe, will have life-long implications. For example, the attitude of Rainbow staff will influence not only how the children react to making mistakes, but also the tolerance and support they are likely to offer their peers when in a similar situation. The specific way we handle any disruptive behaviours, should they arise in class, will not only affect feelings of self-worth in the ‘offending’ child, but also send a message to all the children regarding respect for others. |
Speech and Language Provision
All children continue to receive individual speech and language therapy sessions from the Rainbow Centre speech and language therapist who liaises very closely with teaching and support staff.
As appropriate, children also attend group sessions on the Social Use of Language, Phonological Awareness & Literacy, and Narrative. The children’s support staff also attend these sessions so that they are aware of the skills being targeted and can help the children generalise these to other educational settings.