I took away many useful strategies and ideas to try in my class.
I am going to structure my oral language "show and tell" on a Friday differently using a different topic each week and send home prompting questions. This will help the children prepare what they will say and get away from bringing in toys.
I will also use barrier games to help the children with their speaking and listening. I really liked the example they gave with the coloured Popsicle sticks. This is something I will try in my relationship building sessions on a Friday and in the Headstart programme when I run an Oral language programme.
Here are some notes from the book launch...
Oral Language Book/The Writing Book - Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey
Talk topics = quick writes
Example:
Would you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great grandchildren?
Elaboration questions: - tell me more about…? Can you give me an example? Why do you think that? What is your evidence? Does anyone else have different idea? Can anyone take that idea and develop it further? How else could we think about this?
Chapter 1
Speaking and listening often seen as poor relations of literacy - children not just learning when reading and writing
How can we more effectively engage students in oral language/speak?
Speaking and listening - making and creating meaning = equal importance
Types of dialogue
Planned and unplanned
Formal and informal
Dialogue and monologue
Private and public
Types of talk
Exploratory talk - understand and develop ideas
Presentational - to share and entertain
Conversational - build relationships with others
Listening
Information listening - to obtain information and ideas
Critical listening - evaluate and form opinions
Appreciative - enjoyment
Responsive - build relationships
Modelled
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Shared
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Guided
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Independent
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I do
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We do
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You do
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What do students say about oral language? What helps you learn? Does talking help you learn? Do you get to talk enough in class?
Video - examples of other students work, time to ask questions, talk to each other, talking helps because you can express yourself and say what you are thinking, when you speak you improve your confidence, when I share my words, I share my learning, teachers talk too much and sometimes we don’t understand the long lectures,
Year 10 students - If I talk to others it puts learning into perspective, Some classes I get to talk enough - these are the lessons where I learn best. When I don’t get to talk I don’t learn.
5 Nations Study - Alexander 2001
- Teacher talk was dominated by questions
- 10% of questions were open
- Students responses were on average 5 seconds and 70% were 3 words or less.
Nuthall 2005
A hands up culture controlled by the teacher severely limits student talk and often results in a small group dominating the talking.
“What amazes me is that in every country the most common instructional strategies engage some learners while leaving a large subset disengaged”
Think-pair-share is the most important instructional strategy, versus hands up.
Developing a think-pair-share culture
5 seconds of thinking time - then pairing up, then sharing with each other back in whole class setting. Sharing back - share back what your partner has said, helps to engage, ensure listening.
Successful Listeners (JNR)
- Eyes to eyes
- Listen
- Think
- Take turns
Talk partners - preset T.P.S. partners ready to go. Good for students to build rapport, leave students together as partners for longer - but sure they are closer in ability
Compass talk partners
N - mixed ability
E - friend chose
W - mixed gender
S - same ability
Variations
Switch
High five in the middle of the talking to swap talkers
Think Pair Square - moving from two to four. Teacher joining in the pairs is a powerful way to pull out more discussion
Think pair record - discuss but record notes at the same time
Foursquare Note taking - 
Think pair walk and talk - good to use in combination with recording
Random name selector - popsicle sticks, online apps.
Different groupings
Hair ties - place on their wrist, find the others with the same colour, make a group of different colours
Doughnut circle - sharing buddies ideas - everyone gets a chance to talk. Outside circle and inside circle, pair up and talk, then switch - one circle moves 3 places to the left (normally the inside circle). Retell what the previous buddy said, then add something of their own.
Listening triads - working in a group of 3, one student talking, two listening, or alternatively use of roles (in back of book), e.g. questioner, summariser.
Jigsaw groups - students have a home group, mix up the groups then return to the home group to share the information with others. Good way to engage students as they need to listen to others, as they have information that is needed and cannot be given by anybody else. Foursquare note taking sheet is good for recording this.
The Responding Model
Question comment statement
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Pause and think for at least five seconds
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Share answers opinions ideas
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elaborate
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Step 1
Pose a question, make a comment or a statement
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Step 2
Share answers, opinions or ideas - with a partner
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Step 3
Support students to elaborate on their own and others’ ideas
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Open and closed questions
Smart questions
Why do you think that…?
Smart statements
I wonder why….
Three level thinking frame - digging deeper
A comprehensive vocabulary programme
Word consciousness
An awareness of words
Positive dispoistion
Word alert - hold up a sign saying word alert when an interesting word came up
Adopt a word - all chose a word (with a partner is best) they wanted to adopt for that term, did a whole series of activities around that word.
Activities could be - make a diorama to explain the word, add the adopted words word wall, word jar, play vocabulary charades (could take out of word jar), word walk and swap words, sell/do advertisement for the word, design a house for their word (draw a picture, create a model, minecraft etc.), take your word home as a fridge word.
Make a word picture - word as image by Ji Lee (look at these online - but vet before showing to class, as some can be inappropriate)
How many words can you make out of the letters in your word? - wordplays.com
The writing book has QR codes for different websites that are great for vocabulary learning.
Tier one - words the kids already know - no point teaching
Tier two - words they will come across the most - high utility
Tier three - topic specific words with low frequency
Useful academic life or words that are part of rich conversations.
When kids’ knowledge of tier two is increased, their understanding/comprehension/vocabulary is increased two. There is a tier 2 list is in the oral language book.
Using drama to enhance oral language
“At the centre of all the drama is communication” - Matt Buchanan
Improvisation
Role Play
Mime
Story retelling and story making
Plays/Readers’ theatre
Drama Games
CSO - character, setting, object - they randomly select one for each and create a short skit with these. This could be around your topic or around a book you’ve read.
Skit with 4 words - students have to use these words in a skit, whenever the audience hears one of the words they have to mime a V shape for vocabulary.
Role play and mime - watch a short clip, then discuss it, then mime it out themselves.
Impromptu Speech
Task: talk for 30 seconds, give a random topic e.g. my favourite time of day
Criteria - talk in full sentences avoid ‘um’ eye contact
Listening
Listening activity - play an audio clip - students have to think “where is it set? Who are the characters? What is happening?”
Barrier games - one person has information that they share with other person in order to create something e.g. popsicle sticks in a shape. Great for precise and positional language. Easiest if they sit beside each other rather than opposite - that way left and right etc. will be the same.
Use a hundreds board - in maths - play like battle ships but with chose numbers.
Oral presentations
Impromptu speeches
In the box - prepare a box about themselves, 4 things important to them, then had a slot during the week to present these.
Reading published writing in a group
Rounds - everyone speaks in a circle
Group presentations
Game show (linked to drama e.g. family feud) - creating their own games shows then present them.
Think about oral presentations as pairs, groups and whole class.
Inclusion of talking activities for home learning
E.g. describe a favourite dinner
Share a story from the news
Talk about an illustration or photo
Tell a joke
Present a weather report
Prepare at home and present at school.
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