SPEAKING AND LISTENING LEARNING TO TALK

1. SPEAKING AND LISTENINGLEARNING TO TALK University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5 Year 1 BA Primary Core 1 Lead Lecture

2. What are the benefits of talk in the context of learning? • It is empowering • It can facilitate learning at an individual level, extending our own knowledge and understanding • It supports problem-solving University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

3. LEARNING INTENTIONS • Develop awareness of the important link between speaking, listening and learning • Know that speaking and listening underpins effective learning in all core subjects • Know about the role of the teacher in planning opportunities for learning through speaking and listening • Know some key principles for effective talk • To consider the role of exploratory talk in supporting children’s learning. • To identify the role of the teacher in supporting exploratory talk in the classroom. • To recognise the way in which stories as a context for learning can support exploratory talk and the learning of key ideas in the core subjects. University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

4. SCHOOL BASED INDEPENDENT STUDY TASK (KS1 AND KS2) • Semester 1: Exploratory Talk in Science        • This is a cross core activity • Reflect on  your role in developing high quality exploratory talk with children in the context of … e.g. (Science – (EYs Developing Knowledge and Understanding of the World) There are two parts to this directed task: • a)    Reflect on questioning (focused lesson observation) • b) Talk Box University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

5. A)     REFLECTING ON QUESTIONING • Work with another student in your school (you will be on paired placement) • Using the picture book Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers, lead some exploratory talk with a small group of children. • Plan some questions to engage the children in talk about an age appropriate aspect of the book for between 10 -20 minutes. • The talk may be mostly focused on English, Maths or Science • While you are leading the exploratory talk, your partner student will observe. • At the end of the talk, discuss with your partner your experience of leading exploratory talk and identify 1 or 2 most interesting insights or observations that emerge. Jot them down on the bottom of your plan. • Guidance for planning and observing the exploratory talk will be provided during seminars in semester 1. • Use the frame below to analyse the speaking and listening during the exploratory talk session. You can use the headings and layout to type your own frame. University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

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7. SUPPORTING TALK – TALK BOXES University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

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9. Talk as the foundation of learning ….talk is much more than an aid to effective teaching. Children, we now know, need to talk, and to experience a rich diet of spoken language, in order to think and to learn. Reading, writing and number may be acknowledged curriculum ‘basics’, but talk is arguably the true foundation of learning. (Alexander, 2004 – Towards Dialogic Teaching) University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

10. Dialogue and Dialogic Talk • Dialogue conversation between individuals • Dialogic Talk development of ideas in talk – exploring in depth a situation, problem or possible answer University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

11. MERCER, WEGERIF AND DAWES(1999) MODEL Endorse a socio-cultural view of learning and illustrate the benefits of training children in the use of language to aid logical thinking. Takes long turn at talk Uses “because” Uses “I think” Uses “I agree” University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

12. THE DOWNING MODEL Level 1 – reflects a refusal, or inability, to enter into a discussion Level 2 – makes a claim to knowledge (I think, I believe, I know, I want to know) Level 3 – offers grounds to support a claim (because) Level 4 – supports a claim with further evidence (offers 2 or more reasons – might, definite, sure, maybe…) Level 5 – responds to ideas from others (listens and adjusts position accordingly) University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

13. Level 6 – Able to sustain an argument (uses skills necessary e.g. listening, reinforcing, adjusting, questioning) Level 7 – Evaluates the evidence and draws conclusions (recognises others, comes to a reasoned judgement and that any conclusion is provisional, may need to gather further information) University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

14. FEATURES OF AUTHORITATIVE AND DIALOGIC TALK • (Harlen, W. (2004) PSR 83) • Authoritative Talk • Controlled by the teacher • Direction of talk depends on what teacher says. • Teacher questioning for ‘right’ answers. • Short ‘wait’ time • Dialogic Talk • Controlled by pupils and teacher. • Direction depends on what pupils say. • Teacher questioning for reasoning and speculation • Longer ‘wait’ time University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

15. “It is through language, especially spoken language, that teachers teach and children learn.” Alexander 2004 p2 University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

16. Questions Open Closed University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

17. Questions for Exploratory Talk around books • What are the most interesting aspects of the book that you could use to develop exploratory talk? Speculative (what if?) Reflective (why? How?) Literal University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

18. 2) where has he been • 3) what would you do if you found a plane? What else could he have found? • 5/6) Why has the author made the colours change? • 7) how well do the words ‘Suddenly the plane spluttered’ work? • 8)What would you do? • 9/10) if he rang home, what would the boy be saying? Make a call to your partner • 11/12) how does the language work in ‘ …steering the ship towards a flicker of light, he landed on the moon with a bump.’ How would it be different if the author deleted the blue words? University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

19. 13) Are there really monsters in the dark? Are the pictures the author’s way of representing fear? • 14) How did the boy and the Martian feel? Act out their conversation with a partner. • 16) What ideas are they sharing? How would you get home? • 17/18) how has the author organised words and pictures on this double page spread? • 19/20) make up a question • 26) make up a question ( how might they meet again? How are they feeling? • 29) make up a question University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

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21. Our challenge As teachers, we need to: • Guide and develop children’s contributions • Give them something interesting and relevant to talk about • Offer the space to explore an idea • Ask questions that lead to extended, thoughtful, reasoned answers • Make talk visible • Agree ‘ground rules’ • Be good talk models • Balance teacher-led discussion and group work • Use a repertoire of talk • Become a dialogic teacher Alexander (2006) University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

22. BRUNER (1966) Learning is a process not a product University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

23. In conclusion “A teacher is not simply the instructor or facilitator of the learning of a large and disparate set of individuals, but rather is a potential creator of a ‘community of enquiry’ in a classroom…(children) are apprentices in collective thinking under the expert guidance of their teacher. ..the teacher has to guide children in how to talk and work together and agree some clear ground rules for making it happen.” (Mercer 2000) University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5

24. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, R.J. (2006) Dialogic Talk Alexander, R.J. (2008) Towards Dialogic Teaching: rethinking classroom talk. York: Dialogos. (First edition 2004) Bruner, J. (1966) Toward a theory of instruction. Mass, USA: Harvard University Press Mercer, N. (2000) Words and Minds: How we use language to think together. London: Routledge Mercer, N., Wegerif, R. and Dawes, L. (1999) “Children’s talk and the development of reasoning in the classroom.” British Educational Research Journal, 25, 1, 95-111. Naylor, S., Downing, B. and Keogh, B. (2001) “An empirical study of argumentation in primary science, using Concept Cartoons as a stimulus.” Paper presented at the 3rd Conference of the European Science Education Research Association Conference. Thessaloniki, Greece. August, 2001. University of Winchester Y1 Core LL Week 5