Developing Oracy at Vale View School: Helping Every Child Find Their Voice

At Vale View, we believe that every child deserves to have their voice heard. We are developing oracy across the curriculum to help children become confident speakers, thoughtful listeners and effective communicators.

What is oracy?

Oracy is the ability to express ourselves clearly through speaking and to listen carefully to others. It is about much more than simply answering questions! Through oracy, children learn to explain their thinking, share ideas, ask questions, give reasons for their opinions and build on what other people say.

These skills help children develop their understanding, strengthen friendships, grow in confidence and prepare for life beyond school.

What are we doing in school?

We are embedding oracy into everyday teaching and learning, so that purposeful talk becomes a natural part of school life.

Our approach is informed by research and the Voice 21 Oracy Framework, which focusses on four important strands:

• Physical: using our voices clearly, speaking at an appropriate volume and developing confident body language.

• Linguistic: choosing the right words, developing vocabulary and using language to communicate ideas effectively.

• Cognitive: organising our thoughts, explaining our reasoning, asking questions and giving evidence to support our ideas.

• Social and emotional: listening respectfully, taking turns, showing empathy and responding thoughtfully to others.

Across the school, we are working to:

• Create opportunities for purposeful talk through talk partners, paired activities, small-group discussions and whole-class conversations.

• Teach speaking and listening skills explicitly, helping children understand how to contribute to a discussion, explain their ideas and listen to different viewpoints.

• Use sentence stems and talk prompts to support children in expressing themselves and developing more detailed responses.

• Embed oracy across the curriculum, including opportunities for discussion, debate, presentations, storytelling and collaborative problem-solving in a wide range of subjects.

• Give children time to practise their ideas with a partner or group before sharing them with a wider audience.

• Help children reflect on their communication, thinking about how well they listened, whether they explained their reasoning and how they built on the ideas of others.

We want all children, whatever their age or starting point, to have regular opportunities to practise these skills and develop their confidence over time.

How can parents support oracy at home?

You don't need any special resources or activities to help your child develop their oracy skills. Everyday conversations are a wonderful place to start!

Here are six simple ways to support your child at home:

1. Make time for conversation

Talk together about your day, something you have seen or a story you have read. Give your child time to think and respond, without feeling rushed.

Try asking:

• What was the best part of your day?

• What did you find interesting today?

• What would you like to learn more about?

2. Ask open-ended questions

Questions that have more than one possible answer encourage children to explain their thinking rather than give a simple yes or no.

Try asking:

• Why do you think that happened?

• What makes you say that?

• What do you think might happen next?

• Can you think of another possibility?

3. Encourage children to explain their ideas

If your child shares an opinion, encourage them to tell you why they think that. You could gently prompt them with, "Can you tell me more?" or "What makes you think that?"

There is no need to turn every conversation into a lesson. Showing interest in your child's ideas is a great starting point.

4. Model good listening

Give your child your attention when they are speaking. Try not to interrupt, and show that you have listened by responding to what they have said.

You could also encourage them to listen to different opinions and explain what they agree or disagree with respectfully.

5. Enjoy stories, games and shared activities

Reading together, playing board games, cooking, building models or planning a family day out all provide opportunities for talk.

Encourage your child to predict what might happen, explain instructions, describe what they notice or suggest how to solve a problem.

6. Help your child build on other people's ideas

Show your child how a conversation can develop when we respond to what someone else has said.

Useful phrases to practise include:

• "I agree with you because..."

• "I would like to add..."

• "I see it differently because..."

• "Can you explain what you mean?"

• "I hadn't thought of that. Now I think..."

These small steps help children become more confident at sharing their views while respecting the views of others.

Every voice matters

Developing oracy is an ongoing journey. We want our children to feel confident enough to contribute, curious enough to ask questions and respectful enough to listen to others.

By working together, school and families can help children develop the language, confidence and communication skills they need to thrive.

Thank you for supporting us in helping every child find their voice!