Speaking skills
This is another poor relation in the literacy programme, as usually far too little time is given to this very important skill. Speaking is important in its own right, but it is also a vital step in the development of listening, writing and reading skills. Too few teachers seem to realise this! Too many teachers tell children not to talk!
Developing the spoken language for its own sake.
Children need frequent opportunities to:
practice speaking one on one, in groups, to the whole class, even to the whole school.
use
speech in different genres, reporting a sequential event, explaining a situation, instructing the class on how something can be done, describing an event. u
se language in a rich way, to experiment with sentence construction and new vocabulary, to experience using new parts of speech in their speaking, adjectives and adverbs, similes, metaphors etc. role play, an opportunity to step into the shoes of someone else, allowing them to experience another view point, to empathise during discussion groups, in drama, in puppetry.
Click here for "How to make puppets", in this case, Granny, the woodcutter and Red Riding Hood. (There might be a wolf somewhere!)
The acquisition of speaking skills is so important for
everyday life and yet too many teachers say to children,
"Stop talking!"
I would advise them to tell the children to