Speaking and Listening
Speaking and Listening Intent
Our Curriculum is designed to maximise the potential of all of our pupils; intellectually, socially, morally, emotionally and culturally, where their views are valued.
Speaking and listening is central to our Curriculum and communication is one of our curriculum drivers.
We nurture children’s speaking and listening skills through a variety of approaches and we develop these skills so that our children are capable of expressing their own ideas clearly and confidently, in a safe and supportive environment, in all aspects and areas of their school life and into their future.
Implementation
All staff in our school model the use of higher level vocabulary within their speech (tier 3) and expanding children’s vocabulary is a key focus from EYFS. Subject specific vocabulary is embedded across the curriculum, through teacher modelling, in context. Contextual learning helps children to understand new words and supports them to include them in their work. This model is reflected in individual and shared reading sessions, where children are given the chance to explore unfamiliar vocabulary and expand their knowledge of words. We are keen to model the correct grammar in speech, for example using ‘we were’ instead of ‘we was’ and encourage children to reflect this in their use of spoken and written language. Children are given the chance to orally rehearse ideas for writing regularly.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
We use the EEF preparing for Literacy, improving communication, language and literacy in the Early Years. We prioritise the development of communication and language within our setting. We know the importance of high quality adult-child interactions and the different continuous provision enable adults to model effective language and communication in each of these areas. Teachers use a wide variety of approaches including shared reading, storytelling and explicitly extending children’s vocabulary.
In Key Stage One we use the strategies outlined in the EEF improving Literacy. We develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills and wider understanding of language as good oral skills are important for the development of reading and writing. We encourage book talk, modelling asking questions and then answering those questions. Pupils engage in paired or group work so they can share the thought process that led them to make inferences. We include activities which extend pupils’ spoken and receptive vocabulary and teachers always encourage children to clearly articulate what they are going to say in their writing.
In Key Stage Two we use the strategies outlined in the EEF improving Literacy. We develop pupils’ language capabilities through purposeful speaking and listening activities. This could be through collaborative learning activities where pupils can share their thought processes. Reading books aloud and discussing them. Pupils articulating their ideas verbally before writing. At Mottram we promote high quality dialogue in the classroom, between the teacher and the pupils and between the pupils, to support pupils to develop their thinking and use of the language. We extend pupils’ vocabulary by explicitly teaching new words and providing repeated exposure to these words. In Key Stage Two pupils are able to take part in debate club.
Impact
Children are able to express themselves in many different ways intellectually, socially, morally, emotionally and culturally. We believe that communication through curriculum will give our children the cultural capital to be successful in society and contribute to making a change in our communities for the better. Our children flourish and have the best possible life outcomes and by enriching their spoken word we believe they will ‘live life in all its fullness’.