Speaking & Listening
“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” Tony Robbins
At Howden-le-Wear Primary School we want our children to:
- express their opinions, articulate feelings and listen to and respond appropriately in a range of situations;
- participate with different groups of children to present ideas with confidence, valuing the views of others;
- speak audibly and confidently before an audience (for example when performing in school plays).
At Howden-le-Wear Primary School we teach speaking and listening skills as part of English lessons although these skills are applied and practised across the curriculum and through a range of curriculum enrichment activities. The speaking and listening skills, taught in each class, build on the skills taught in previous years, allowing children to continuously build on their skills. We aim to equip children to use speaking and listening skills confidently throughout their everyday lives both academically and socially.
We recognise that it is vitally important to increase children’s vocabulary so they are able to understand what they hear in the world around them and allow them to express themselves in more effective ways. As children move through the school, from Foundation Stage to Year 6, they are taught the vocabulary which allows them to move from describing their immediate world and feelings to developing a broader, deeper and richer vocabulary to discuss abstract concepts and a wider range of topics. Therefore, we ensure that children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary that enables them to do this effectively.
As pupils progress through the school they are taught to develop their competence in spoken language and listening to enhance the effectiveness with which they are able to communicate across a range of contexts and to a range of audiences. All children have the opportunity to work in groups of different sizes – in pairs, small groups, large groups and as a whole class. They are taught understanding of how to take turns and when and how to participate constructively in conversations and debates. During Foundation Stage, the children learn the vital first skills from the Foundation Stage curriculum. In Key Stage 1, children often need higher levels of modelling and scaffolding and support to manage group discussions. As children move into Key Stage 2, the skills they have learnt can be applied more independently and they can take greater control for managing group discussions and the focus shifts to the ability to listen and build on the ideas of others and the complexity of the types of task increase. In Upper Key Stage 2, there are further opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills, through inter-school activity days, presentations and events.
Children have many opportunities to perform to a large audience and to learn and practise the skills required and these performances become more complex and less supported as the children move through the school. All children perform in Harvest, Easter and Christmas performances every year. Additionally, Drama Clubs for both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 give the children the opportunity to further develop their performance skills.
Across the school, speaking and listening is taught through a variety of activities and is often linked to a high quality class text or topic. Children who are struggling with speaking and listening skills receive additional support, additional intervention and outside agency support is accessed when required.
