Karen Reed

Inquiry learning
Question: How can I encourage beneficial oral language in the classroom or 'How can I better
integrate oral language into my teaching and learning programme?'

Why this inquiry?

1.The children in my class do not seem to be able converse with myself or each other in any
great detail, I would liken it sometimes to toddle speak If they want to tell me something
or ask for an item they often dance around what they want to say or point to the object
rather than saying its name, they cannot articulate what they really want to say. Often
during news sharing they will say oh I got this and its fun they dont say what it is, where
they got it etc without continual prompting. Also during conversations with some students it
is obvious that when they get home they dont converse with their parents but sit most
evenings on the computer on their own.
2 Recent KLST tests show that some of our juniors have poor speaking and listening skills.
3. Professional development with Alison Davies, confirmed my suspicions that we do not
allow for speaking and listening in our daily teaching and learning programme.
How can I, as a teacher turn this around?
Firstly I need to look at my teaching, do my daily activities allow time for speaking and
listening does the structure of the curriculum allow for speaking and listening time. I need to
provide opportunities for students to talk and to develop their background experiences to
learn the vocabulary that would allow them to express themselves in a wide range of
contexts. Next I need to feel the student voice, what do the children like to talk about,
what will excite them enough to want to talk ? All these factors need to be incorporated
into my inquiry. Talk to learn
Professional readings
http://dmvotano.wix.com/daniellavotano
Research classroom learning programmes to enrich the oral language of new entrant
children and promote achievement in literacy during their first year at school.

http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=/articles/handbook/wilkinson/i
ndex.html

https://englishonline.tki.org.nz/English-Online/Exploring-language/Oral-LanguageIntroduction
Ideas to incorporate speaking and listening in the classroom
Oral language PD : 18.05.15
Group activity - have children in pairs, each pick a picture, (a bigger picture cut into 2) What do you
think your animal could be? Children need to talk about their picture.
Three stay one stray
Then give children think time, get them to think of something, eg a park in the future, what might it
be, what would be in there, what would it sound like. Each group draws their park in the future.
At the end of the drawing, have some stay and one stray (who is the detective) who can go to the
other group and ask questions about their park, you must say something nice about their park. You
can have a few who stray.
Carousel - go and have a look at everyones park, leave a card/counter as a vote for the best one
you like. Have to go around twice so that you are seeing them all.
Stress to children that a carousel means you have a job to do when the music stops. Need to
collaborate with your group. Can do this with writing/maths beat handwriting, best neat work,
finger spaces etc. Important to stress cannot move until music starts.
When you get back to places, ask children questions why they chose that one, what did they like
about the others.
Give one get one.
I also went online to a teachers forum for some more ideas.
HPP is a tutoring programme where parent tutors are trained to enrich students oral language. The parent tutors
first read the book and then prepare to develop students language by using the One Hand Approach. For each
picture in the book, they think of four statements they could make (four fingers) and one related question they
could ask (the crucial thumb). They also look for examples of words that rhyme.
7 hrs Like 1

If oral language is low, I think you need to presume that limited opportunities have been provided in the past. Try
setting up a play environment in your classroom with a play dough table, family/dress up corner, painting easel,
etc., and just talk with the children. Write stories about what they are doing - get them to tell you what they want
you to write, "tell me about your paining" - " wow I could write that for you!" And put THEIR words on the bottom
of their art. Play pretend with them, sing lots of songs, nursery rhymes, read them lots of books. Give them
opportunities to talk to each other around a making table (art materials, paper card, stapler, cellotape etc.). Go for
walks around the school and use expressive language as you I describe what you are seeing. When you write
their words, don't change their grammar - they need to be able to read it back in their own words.
Children can't read or write if they don't have the oral language.
I have seen children make great gains in their oral language - 12 mths progress in 3 mths using play based
learning.
Your job is to plug the holes in their buckets before you start filling them.