Speaking and Listening 

At Mary Dean’s, we teach children to articulate ideas, develop understanding and communicate with others through spoken language. In school, oracy is a vital tool for learning; by teaching students to become more effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them. ​

At Mary Dean’s, we believe spoken language to be essential in the development and achievement of our children throughout the curriculum. We strive to develop spoken language skills through our curriculum and the whole ethos of the school. Children are taught how to be effective communicators through oracy projects that feature skills such as storytelling, debating and presenting. Good oracy skills support wider literacy skills; improvement in oracy is also linked to improvements in reading, writing, and overall attainment. ​

Respectful and productive relationships between all who form part of the school community are crucial aspects of our oracy ethos. Our Talking Tool kit sets aside our rules of speaking and listening. We place a high priority on supporting the development of good speaking and listening skills amongst our pupils. Correct spoken language and development of vocabulary is fundamental to learning. Speaking and listening play a large part in a child’s progress in all curriculum areas and teachers plan to develop these skills in a wide variety of ways. We aim to develop and encourage fluent speakers, with a rich vocabulary, who are confident to operate in a wide range of situations.  We use Sentence Stems to empower children to discuss and debate, using rich vocabulary in school.