Oral Language

After Pam's PD at staff meeting the other day I have a new increased desire to do a better job of developing our children's oral language. At Reading Recovery training this week we also looked at Oral Language which was very well timed. We were given an article from Clay's (2014) By Different Paths to Common Outcomes: Literacy learning and teaching,  which focuses on the relationship of talking with reading and writing. It suggests some things teachers can do to support children in becoming more controlled with their Oral Language.
(p. 136)
1) Create a rich context for learning
thinking about
- who talks to whom?
- what do they talk about?
- how often?
- do they listen and repeat or exchange language naturally

2) Increase language learning opportunities
Oral language learning opportunities during school hours are naturally reduced by the shift of individual to group learning. Schools need to design experiences to maximize opportunities for language construction.

3) Understand the children learn language most easily through conversation
- arrange joint focus on an activity
- extend wait time
- negotiate meanings
- personalise conversations
Does the classroom programme create conversations?

4) Consider what may make a child reluctant to speak
- shyness
- limited language control
- fear of failure
So what do we do to avoid this?

5) Recognise the importance of reading aloud to children
Children need to be exposed to a range of language structures including ones beyond their current capabilities.

6) Create a need to produce new language
Create experiences that tempt children to have something to say

7) Arrange for new sources of language
Model good language

The list continues but these were the key ones for me.
Next term Tara and I really want to have a big push on Oral Language. I have found many books to read to help to develop a programme that encourages and supports the development of oral language in our class.
If I can test a sample group of children using the ROL by the end of the term and then we can look at whether we think some progress has been made at the end of the year.