The National Curriculum for English reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing. Teachers ensure the continual development of pupils’ confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills.
Teachers help the pupils develop a capacity to explain their understanding of books and other reading, and to prepare their ideas before they write. They are assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as to others and teachers ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their English. Pupils are taught to understand and use the conventions for discussion and debate. All pupils are enabled to participate in and gain knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the artistic practice of drama. Pupils are shown how to adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role.
At Nutfield Church Primary School, to develop a pupil’s speaking and listening, we use the following strategies:
- Drama from Reception
- Shared, paired and individual reading (see more in Reading section)
- Class discussion
- Our Reception class, Years One and Two are responsible for a Christmas performance for parents/carers
- Year Six produce an end of year performance for parents/carers
- Our children produce a Class Collective Worship once a year and this enables the children to showcase their learning and develop the ability to speak with purpose audibly for an audience.
- Throughout the year, children across the school are responsible for leading our Easter and Harvest Festival services at our local church
- We have four teams at our school: Pupil Parliament, Faith Team, Anti-bullying Partnership and Eco Team. Two children from each year group make up these teams and this gives them opportunities to express their views and ideas, and to take part in a half termly meeting and to lead a Collective Worship
- P4C/PSHE
- Reading Buddies
- Talk partners
- Lolly sticks