Speaking and Listening A wide range of activities take place to develop pupil's skills within the area of speaking and listening. It is recognised that the context of these activities might vary according to the age and the interests of the pupil. For example, a group of pupils within Key Stages 1 and 2 might be encouraged to listen to and take part in story telling activities, while at Key Stages 3 and 4 a speaking and listening activity is more likely to be, for example, based on a discussion about which pop group they like best and why. For some pupils who have little or no speech, contributions to speaking and listening activities might be made via the use of a switch or other communication aid. All contributions will be equally valued. Drama has much to offer pupils and has proved to be a valuable medium for improving speaking and listening skills.

Reading Staff use different approaches to teaching reading according to pupil's individual needs or difficulties. Phonics is used to support pupils in developing their understanding of letter sounds. Jolly Phonics is used in Lower School while Snappy Phonics is felt to be more age appropriate for pupils in Upper School. A wide range of resources support the teaching of phonics.

The main reading schemes are the Oxford Reading Tree used in Lower School and Songbirds and Project X in Upper School. Both schemes are complimented by a range of supplementary reading materials at each level. The school has additional material from the schemes with symbols in order to increase the pupils' access to the books. Staff have prepared books and flash cards, sentences and individual words, abstracted from the schemes. Stories from both schemes are also available on interactive computer programs. Older pupils are encouraged to choose 'free' reading books and to read newspapers and magazines.

The value of using background and social sight reading material is also recognised. The school has its own library which is regularly used by pupils. The library contains a wide and growing selection of books including those prepared by pupils themselves, many accompanied by symbols. It also contains a wide range of non-fiction texts including autobiographies, journals, diaries, letters, travel writings and leaflets. There is also a library of 'Bag Books', both bought and made in school, available for learners whose access to stories is increased by tactile and multisensory routes. Pupils throughout the school make use of the mobile library which visits school each term, project book boxes and the local public libraries on Walney and in Barrow. Pupils at all key stages are encouraged to listen to shared stories and to read for enjoyment.

Writing It is acknowledged that many pupils will not become cursive writers and that some will remain unable to hand-write their own first name. Information technology has an important role to play in providing a means by which pupils might write, ensuring that, where applicable, production is not limited by poor or non-existent hand writing. For many of the pupils who attend George Hastwell