Spoken Language at Wicor

At Wicor, children are taught to develop a wide range of spoken language skills throughout their time at school. These include:

• Listening and responding appropriately to adults and their peers

• Asking relevant questions to deepen understanding and extend knowledge

• Using effective strategies to develop and broaden vocabulary

• Articulating and justifying answers, arguments and opinions

• Giving well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for a variety of purposes, including expressing feelings

• Maintaining attention and participating actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and responding thoughtfully to others

• Using spoken language to develop understanding through speculation, hypothesis, imagination and exploration of ideas

• Speaking audibly and fluently with increasing command of Standard English

• Participating in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisation and debate

• Engaging and sustaining the interest of listeners

• Considering and evaluating different viewpoints, building on the contributions of others

• Selecting and using appropriate registers for effective communication

• Rehearsing and refining dramatic performances

• Delivering improvised performances based on both real and imagined scenarios

These skills are developed across a range of contexts within Reading and Writing, as well as through dedicated speaking opportunities such as:

• Contributing to broadcasts on the school radio station

• Giving a talk to a group about an object, photograph or personal experience

• Delivering a prepared presentation on a topic of personal interest

• Reading aloud an extract from a chosen book

• Performing plays and poetry