Spoken Language
Oracy at SASM
At SASM, we recognise that high quality talk helps children to learn effectively and is linked to increased levels of attainment across the curriculum. We believe that every child has the right to develop their own unique voice, regardless of their background and social circumstance.
We achieve this through an innovative use of talk in our pedagogical methods and by crafting meaningful opportunities for children to use talk for a range of purposes, both inside and out of the classroom.
We support each other to succeed by valuing all voices in our community, creating a culture where everybody can advance their spoken language and celebrate their own unique voice.
We enable our pupils to...
...speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
...use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
...select and use appropriate registers for effective communication
...ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
... articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
...give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
... use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
...attend to and build on the contributions of others
... listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
...maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
...participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates
...gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
... consider and evaluate different viewpoints
How we teach oracy
In all lessons, we teach and practice exploratory talk.
Based on the work of Voice 21, Oracy Cambridge, Speech and Language UK and other leading professional bodies, we have developed a bespoke approch to our spoken language pedagogy. The following elements of oracy are woven across all subjects:
Our teachers use a bespoke Oracy Toolkit, which is a set of pedagogical activities, designed and curated to increase levels of high quality pupil talk in the classroom. These are used in lessons across all subjects.
Teachers also pay attention to increasing pupils’ vocabulary, ranging from describing their immediate world and feelings to developing a broader, deeper and richer vocabulary to discuss abstract concepts and a wider range of topics, and enhancing their knowledge about language as a whole.
Specific oracy lessons
All year groups have a weekly oracy lesson. Using a topic for discussion based on a news story in the past week, pupils put their oracy skills into practice through understanding how to take turns and when and how to participate constructively in conversations and debates. The sessions are lead by different pupils each week.
What might you see in our classrooms?
Discussion guidelines: each classroom has mutually agreed set of discussion guidelines, which are clearly displayed and used frequently to set expectations for talk.
Models for discussion: we use a wide range of structures to allow pupils to explore ideas together, including: pair and trios; nest; travese and onion discussions
Talk tactics: pupils are taught to recognise specific tactics when working in discussions groups, such as 'the builder,' 'the instigator', 'the prober' or 'the summariser'
Talking points: we use thought-provoking statements which encourage children to talk to one another about a topic, sharing what they know and understand, and what they do not know or are unsure about.
Sentence stems: are used to scaffold learning. Statements help pupils practice exploratory talk; for example, 'I agree and I’d like to add…' or 'That’s true, but have you considered…'
Enrichment opportunities
We give pupils opportunities to practice presentational talk.
All pupils take part in a 'Class Collective Worship' each year, which is an opportunity to speak about their learning in front of a live audience
All pupils deliver a speech to become a member of our School Parliament
Spoken language themed week, which includes:
a ‘My Voice Matters’ worship, led by SASM MPs
the election of a ‘Headteacher for a Day’ from Year 6 - including manifesto writing as an English unit of work
Year 4 pupils take part in a Poetry Slam competition against local schools
Year 5 perform podcasts to share their learning (SASM FM).
'Write On’ Curriculum Club, which has includes writing and performing poetry
Oracy at home
Our weekly newsletter contains and 'Oracy at home' item, which builds on the topic of discussions in the week's oracy lesson. Here is an example:
Oracy at Home
How important is it to know about the author behind the book?
Book publishing company, Penguin Random House UK, has revealed a new book vending machine at Linlithgow Academy, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The machine gives the pupils access to more than seventy different books from Penguin's 'Lit in Colour' reading lists. The reading lists, set up around 4 years ago, are updated each year and aim to make works by writers of colour more visible and accessible in schools.
Things to talk about at home
What type of books do you like to read, and who are some of your favourite authors? Ask others at home about their reading preferences.
Do you feel its important to know about the author of a book you read? Is it important to you to read books by authors from different backgrounds and with different experiences? What do others at home think?