Oracy at Sauncey Wood

We have been busy over the first half of the Autumn term embedding more Oracy opportunities into our practice for all of our children. Being confident in all aspects of Oracy takes time and practice and we are asking for your support in this at home.

Below are some techniques to try at home to help your child become a more confident communicator and to practice their Oracy skills. There also some websites that you might like to look at.

· Read aloud to your child daily/ Listen to your child read aloud daily- Reading aloud to your child, well beyond the age they can read for themselves, combines the benefits of talking, listening and storytelling within one activity that helps children build their vocabulary, learn to express their thoughts, and understand the structure of language. Listening to your child read will develop all of the above too and their reading stamina too.

· Record a video diary- Many children aspire to being vloggers or YouTube stars, so encourage them to start a video diary, either to chart their everyday life or to record special occasions like birthdays and holidays.

· Play word games- Games like 20 Questions, Articulate, Guess Who? and I Spy are great for helping children use descriptive language and think critically about what they’re saying.

· Talk about their day- Ask your child, ‘What did you do today?’ and they’ll often claim they can’t remember, so find different ways to talk about what they’ve been up to. Eating your evening meal as a family is a good way to encourage conversation, turn the TV off, put mobiles and tablets away and be present in the moment. Older children are often more chatty in the car, where they feel less like they’re being interrogated. Try some of these sentence stems to support quality conversation.

What made you smile today?

Who did you sit with at lunch?

If you could change one thing about today, what would it be?

What was the hardest expectation you had to follow today?

Tell me something you know today that you didn't know yesterday.

· Phone a friend (or relative)- Persuade your child to take a break from text and WhatsApp and develop their speaking skills by making an actual phone call.. Encouraging them to speak to different family members on the phone or on a video call will build confidence.

· Go on a nature/listening walk- This is a great pre-phonics activity for young children, who can be encouraged to listen carefully to the sounds they hear – from traffic to birdsong – and describe them. They can also describe the natural sights they see, such as trees, animals and birds and the sky. Doing this activity as a young person or adult can be beneficial for mental health too.

· Sign them up for a club- Joining extra-curricular clubs is a good opportunity for your child to talk with different people outside the home or school environment. Many of them also involve taking instructions (such as being coached in sporting techniques or to complete science or art projects), and introduce them to different vocabulary relating to their new hobby.

· Take photos and tell a story- as much as you want to know about your child’s day- guess what they would like to know about yours too. Once a week, take a few photographs across your day, then sit down with your child and tell them the story of

your day using your photos as a storyboard- this will enrich your child’s vocabulary and knowledge of the world around them further. A variation of this activity would be for the children to take pictures of their day during the holidays or whilst on a trip and share with another member of the family or a friend.

Oracy websites:

· The noisy classroom has a range of games and ideas to try at home with your children aiming to keep kids talking https://noisyclassroom.com/category/keep-kids-talking/

· The National Literacy Trust’s Words for Life programme has lots of great tips and activity ideas to encourage speaking, reading and writing skills in children from birth to 11 years. http://www.wordsforlife.org.uk/

Debate topics and other useful information: · https://www.theschoolrun.com/debate-topics-for-children · https://www.theschoolrun.com/help-develop-your-childs-communication-skills · https://www.theschoolrun.com/improving-childrens-listening-skills

We would love to know of any good news stories linked to Oracy that Mr Lloyd can share during Celebration Assembly so please do email him so he can share.