No Pens Day Wednesday - The Communication Trust

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Teachers’ Activity Pack 10 key principles of effective talk No Pens Day Wednesday 28 September 2011 1. Allow pupils time to think about information given, refine what they want to say, express their thoughts and reveal their misunderstandings Use the 10 second rule – wait around 10 seconds after asking a question before prompting pupils for an answer 2. Give opportunities for pupils to talk to a partner or in a group, to encourage pupils to test understanding, put new knowledge into their own words and/or to clarify thoughts before they’re asked to produce a piece of writing 3. Support vocabulary development by using strategies to explicitly teach the meaning and use of key words for learning (words like compare, analyse and define) and for subject specific vocabulary 4. Model ways of using language so that children learn by example, use language that enables collaborative working, discussion, rational argument and negotiation. For example “I see your point, though let’s try this way too and we can decide which works best” 5. Encourage thinking by asking open questions to explore pupils’ ideas, supporting pupils to elaborate and justify their views, for example “How did you know that?” 6. Listen as well as talk by holding back demonstrations or explanations until the ideas of some students have been heard, by allowing pupils’ comments to shift the direction of a discussion (and even, perhaps, of a lesson!) 7. Set the context by using whole class discussions to help pupils see where their study of a topic is coming from and where it’s going, for example, using a learning journey model 8. Support independent learning by asking pupils to think ‘how am I going to remember this?’ Give them opportunities to practise with a partner 9. Use ground rules of dialogue for class or group discussions to support thinking and learning. A typical set of such ground rules might include: • Discuss things together • Ask everyone for their opinion • Ask for reasons why • Listen to people • Be prepared to change your mind • Think before you speak • Respect other people’s ideas – don’t just use your own • Share all the ideas and information you have • Make sure the group agrees after talking 10. Encourage children and young people to say when they’ve not understood – acknowledge the importance of making mistakes and of seeking clarification when unsure 6
Teachers’ Activity Pack No Pens Day Wednesday 28 September 2011 Following through with the ten principles overleaf may not be easy, so do prepare yourself for challenges along the way. As any teacher will testify, if you try asking open questions, or waiting for extended answers with a class who have had only a very traditional experience of classroom talk, you’ll probably only hear (at best) a suspicious silence. It all depends on the teacher establishing the right classroom climate for talk, and that takes time. Some teachers are naturally brilliant at doing this. Their students come to appreciate the educational value of talk themselves, and will not feel embarrassed to express tentative ideas or reasonable disagreements. Teachers need to be good models for children and young people on how to use talk for thinking. Research has shown that when children are helped to understand talk as a problem-solving and learning tool, and given guidance in developing skills in using it, the quality of their talk and group work improves and so do the individual learning outcomes. For children whose out-of-school lives give them little exposure to reasoned discussion, this can be a life-changing experience. ‘Teaching pupils speaking and listening for learning has not just been of benefit to the standards of literacy but for the whole curriculum.’ Jan Baynham, Literacy Adviser, South Wales 7
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No Pens Day Wednesday - The Communication Trust

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