A Colour Coded Classroom – Can it be Achieved?

In a simple word, yes.

Having worked within schools for many years I have found myself in a very fortunate position. I have been able to see and experience the amazing work teachers and their support staff do.

When designing Colour Coded Language, it was always my plan and intention to create a therapy resource that could complement teachers and their teaching.

I cannot recall the exact statistics but I think it is something like 1 million children in the UK have communication difficulties. There could potentially be, in every class, a child or even children with impaired language skills.

So, how best can these students be supported.

Do you set up 1:1 and small group learning but know that they will miss out on whole class learning and inclusive teaching?

Do you allow them to stay with the class but recognise that at times the language level is potentially excluding it is nature?

Or,

Do you adapt the learning environment for all and create a whole-class learning experience that supports all pupils?

Colour Coded Language can be added to any school’s inclusive teaching toolkit. It offers flexible usage, is engaging, fun and simple. Primary schools where I work recognise the importance of this resource.

I appreciate that it can be hard to believe something when it is just presented in the written word. With this in mind, I spoke to one teacher and she agreed for me to photograph Colour Coded Language in action within her class.

Vocabulary board – this is updated as and when needed to include current and tricky vocabulary.

 

Working wall – this is a constanttly evolving display, which supports what is going on in the class during that lesson, day or week.

Working wall – close up of a section showing how the techer supported adjective work.

Worked example –the teacher created this with her students. As they talked and put forward ideas a teaching assistant scribed and coded. This meant the children could see how their spoken language translated to the written word.

Here are just a few other ways Colour Coded Language is used in class:

• In WILFs (What I’m Looking For) and WALTs (We Are Learning To)
• Highlighting/underlining key vocabulary within a text.
• Teaching key concepts – such as frontal adverbials, conjunctions.
• Organising and learning new vocabulary especially spellings, curriculum vocabulary and high frequency words.
• Teaching grammatical concepts and an awareness of how distinct aspects of language affect each other (e.g. ‘when’ words and their impact on ‘doing’ words – past/present/future tense).
• Helping sentence planning, list forming and sequencing of ideas.
• Teaching spelling, punctuation and grammar as part of everyday learning not as a designated lesson.

For me and yoohoo, it is totally thrilling seeing Colour Coded Language being used to support children so inclusively. It really gives us a buzz.

Feeling inspired? Take the yoohoo challenge. Visit our website, www.yoohoo.org.uk and purchase yourself some resources. Colour Coded Language Classroom Set makes a good starter kit. Get Colour Coded Language happening in your classroom. Send yoohoo a photograph and receive a discount off your next purchase.

Code – Love – Capture – Share