SEND Story Resources: Developing Concept Knowledge Through Marvin’s Market Adventure

Accessible Literacy Begins with Meaningful Experiences

Children with visual impairments often miss out on the incidental learning opportunities that sighted children gain through everyday observation. From an early age, sighted children are surrounded by visual information that helps them build understanding of people, objects, places and events. Children with visual impairments require these experiences to be made explicit through purposeful teaching and meaningful interaction.

This is why concept development is at the heart of accessible literacy.

Before a child can fully understand the words they read or hear, they need rich experiences that help them understand what those words mean. By exploring real objects, taking part in everyday activities and engaging with people and places, children develop the knowledge and understanding that forms the foundation for literacy, communication and learning.

At Positive Eye, we believe that literacy should be experienced, not simply taught. Through multi-sensory learning, children can build meaningful connections between language and the world around them.

Learning Through Real-Life Experiences

The opportunities to develop literacy and concept knowledge are all around us.

The kitchen, bathroom, garden, local shops, parks and community spaces provide countless opportunities for exploration and learning. Everyday activities can support the development of:

Language and communication
Concept development
Tactile discrimination
Fine motor skills
Listening skills
Early literacy skills
Independence and confidence

The key is to maximise every experience and create opportunities for children to actively explore and engage with the world around them.

Understanding the ‘Ness’ of Learning

One of the concepts we often discuss at Positive Eye is what we call the‘ness’ of an object.

By this we mean helping children develop a deep understanding of an object’s characteristics, qualities, purpose and meaning.

For example, when exploring a wooden spoon, we are not simply identifying it as a spoon. We are exploring the woodenness of the spoon.

What does it feel like?

Is it smooth or rough?

What sound does it make?

Where is it stored?

What is it used for?

How is it different from a metal spoon?

Can we cook with it?

Can we stir, scoop, tap, compare and measure with it?

Through these experiences, children develop understanding of shape, texture, material, function and process. They are building real concepts rather than simply memorising vocabulary.

The same approach can be applied to almost anything:

The bucketness of buckets
The fishness of fish
The flowerness of flowers
The marketness of markets

Meaningful literacy begins when children experience concepts for themselves.

Introducing Marvin’s Market Adventure

Marvin’s Market Adventure and Grandma’s Special Birthday Picnic is a multi-sensory story resource designed to support concept development through a fun and engaging storyline.

The story follows Marvin, a kind young boy who wants to surprise his grandmother on her birthday. Armed with a shopping list, he sets off to the market to buy everything he needs for a special picnic. Along the way he visits stalls, meets colourful characters and explores a wide variety of everyday objects and experiences.

But the story offers much more than a narrative.

It provides a framework for developing meaningful literacy experiences built around real-world concepts and activities.

By exploring the market, children discover the marketness of a market through practical, hands-on learning.

Bringing the Story to Life with a Story Bucket

One of the most effective ways of presenting the story is through a Story Bucket.

A Story Bucket contains real objects linked to the story, allowing children to explore and interact with key characters, items and experiences as the narrative unfolds.

The bucket might include:

A shopping bag
A shopping list
Flowers
Fruit and vegetables
Bread rolls and cakes
A purse and coins
Fish
A bottle of lemonade
Dressing-up items
Braille and print labels

As children listen to the story, they can search, find, touch, hold, smell, manipulate and explore the objects that bring the learning to life.

This transforms listening into active participation and helps develop meaningful understanding of the concepts within the story.

Exploring Learning Opportunities Throughout the Story

Every character and location within Marvin’s Market Adventure provides opportunities for learning.

Flora Flower’s Stall

Children can:

Plant flowers and vegetables
Explore the parts of a flower
Measure growth
Compare colours, textures and scents
Discuss why people buy flowers for special occasions

Veg Man Vernon the Vegetable Seller

Children can:

Explore real fruits and vegetables
Sort and categorise
Compare size, texture and shape
Prepare and taste foods
Create artwork using fruit and vegetable prints
Grow produce at home or school

Fishman Phil the Fish Seller

Children can:

Visit a fishmonger
Explore different fish
Learn about rivers, lakes, ponds and seas
Discuss where fish live
Develop descriptive language

Barbara Baker the Lovely Cake Maker

Bake cakes
Make models of cakes
Make gingerbread people and decorate (real and in cardboard
Sell cakes in school
Set up a pretend cake stall and enact the story
Make some homemade lemonade
Share the cakes between friends, half, quarter, (fractions)
Have a tea party (Make sandwiches, cake)

Grandma’s Birthday Picnic

Children can:

Make shopping lists
Count and sort money
Bake cakes
Prepare food
Organise a picnic
Count plates, cups and cutlery
Celebrate with family and friends

Each activity extends the learning beyond the story and helps children develop practical understanding of important everyday concepts.

Supporting Accessible Literacy Through Concept Development

Stories become far more meaningful when children have opportunities to experience the concepts that underpin them.

By combining storytelling with real objects, practical experiences and purposeful language, children develop stronger understanding, greater engagement and more meaningful literacy skills.

Marvin’s Market Adventure demonstrates how accessible literacy can be woven into everyday learning through fun, creative and memorable experiences.

Whether used by parents, teachers, QTVIs or support staff, the resource provides a simple and effective way to develop concept knowledge, communication skills and literacy readiness in children with visual impairments and SEND.

Most importantly, it shows that learning should be active, purposeful and enjoyable.

Because when literacy is built on real experiences, children have the opportunity to truly understand the world around them and their place within it.

Download Marvin’s Market Adventure

Marvin’s Market Adventure and Grandma’s Special Birthday Picnic is available to download from the Positive Eye shop and provides a wealth of opportunities for developing concept knowledge, accessible literacy and meaningful learning through multi-sensory storytelling.