Listening and Speaking

Purpose•To reflect on learning partnership experiences•To consider how children learn to talk•To explore the importance of speaking and listening to literacy development•To examine the talk environment at home and in the classroom•To explore how home and school can work together to develop good speakers and listeners

children are surrounded by talking children are talked to, and with, a great deal children and parents expect that they will learn to

talk children decide what they want to say and when children are given lots of opportunities to practise

talking children are given positive feedback from having

a go. children want to learn and take an active part

WAYS CHILDREN LEARN TO TALK The Importance of Oral Language

Conversation Talk Communication Cooperation Interaction Active participation Organisation of ideas

WHAT IS SPEAKING AND LISTENING?

Listening for enjoyment and relaxation Listening for a purpose – attend to one

person or sound Listening to gain specific information Listening to give a response Listening when there are distractions in the

background

What types of listening do we use?

feel the need to listen

prevent interruptions when

others are listening

focus our attention

try to eliminate distractions

engage with others in speaking and listening

actively listen by using verbal or non verbal behaviour

give the speaker time to articulate their thoughts

For successful listening situations we need to:

questions

prompts

wait time

rephrasing

Encourage talk through:Display a genuine interest anddemonstrate that you are listeningAsk question that require more than a yes or no answer ,e.g.What happened then...?How did you...?How many ways can...?What would you do if...?Why is...?I wonder why...?How did you feel when...?I wonder why...”Suppose a...?

Using prompts to initiate or extend responses, e.g.Tell me about...Think of all the...Suppose a...What would you think about...?

Accepting the child’s attempts and then rephrasing what is said provides an appropriate model in a positive way, rather than simply correcting incorrect words or statements, e.g.

Child:Dis my shoe. Parent: Yes, this is your shoe and look... this

is the other one

Rephrasing

Providing wait time after asking a question allows

children time to think and formulate answers

Talk spontaneously Work alongside others Make informed comments Ask questions of speakers Reflect and adjust their speaking to suit their

audience Be sensitive listeners – when to wait, respond,

interrupt Respond in more structured situations Develop confidence in interaction with others Adjust their speaking and listening to suit the

purpose, situation and audience

Children need opportunities to:

Encourage... your child to exchange greetings and farewells in various situations, such as making friends and introducing themselves.

Show... your child how to use the telephone. Teach them what to say when they answer the telephone and how to take a message.

Sing... jingles, rhymes, songs. Say poems and chants together. Read favourite rhymes and stories aloud with lots of

expression. Practise... following directions and giving instructions, e.g. cooking,

craft books Model... the use of nodding and eye contact etc. to show how to be

an active listener Encourage... Your child to experiment with voice intonation and

expression. Role play characters from favourite stories using dress-up items or use soft toys as puppets

Provide... A range of toys and materials that will encourage talk and description, e.g. blocks, playdough, jigsaws where children have an opportunity to interact and use their imagination to express themselves through language

How to help your child with speaking and listening

Ask questions...

About events and allow time before expecting a response. Encourage your child to ask questions to find out things and take the time to converse on many topics.

Share...

retellings of events, promoting sequence and accuracy, e.g. ‘What happened after that? What was the next thing you did?

Suggest...

ideas for show and tell and encourage a rehearsal of hat your child will say and do. Compare...

the way in which we speak to others in formal and informal situations, e.g. Speaking to a shopkeeper, playing with friends, meeting new adults.

Listen...

to taped stories with read-along books. Play...

listening and speaking games such as ‘I spy”. Encourage...

your child to wait for an appropriate time to speak. Discourage interruptions. Model...standard speech and encourage your child to attempt appropriate patterns through rephrasing.

To encourage oral language and good listening skills: