Children’s Speaking and Listening

The Primary curriculum for English at Key Stage 2 sets out the knowledge, skills, and understanding which pupils are expected to learn. The Programmes of Study document 3 strands: 1) speaking and listening, 2) reading, and 3) writing, with linked attainment targets, DfEE (1998), DfEE (2000a), DfEE (2000b), DfES (2001), DfES (2006).
The speaking and listening strand of the National Literacy Strategy Framework, DfEE (1998), DfES (2001), QCA/NC (2007) defines 6 areas of knowledge, skills, and understanding which should be taught in literacy via a range of activities. These are: 1) Speaking 2) Listening 3) Group discussion and interaction 4) Drama 5) Standard English, and 6) Language Variation.
This discussion highlights ways to develop speaking and listening skills within a range of activities, contexts and purposes at key stage 2. The focus and setting is a low achieving year 5 pupils within a UK Primary School.
Thus the following development plans exemplify relevant speaking and listening strategies, and suggest summative, diagnostic, and formative assessment opportunities. These methods may be synthesised or applied individually as appropriate.

Speaking Skills Development Plan for Year 5:

Creating a Fairytale for Storytelling

The activity objective is to promote spoken language for storytelling during the mutual creation of written narrative, Corden (2000). The integrated model lends itself to ‘formative assessment’ and focuses on the process of developing ‘speaking skills’ during the creation of narrative text. It encourages pupils to speak, read, and write during the process of the activity, and to produce a written and spoken outcome. Observational formative assessments may be made at various stages throughout the activity. Corden (2000) refers to the important role of integrated teaching and learning in literacy, and the advantages to be gained from social interaction with texts.
“The NLSF recognition of the crucial interrelationship between, speaking, listening, reading, and writing, echoes the work of researchers who have used the term ‘literacy event’ to describe the complex socio-cultural interactions of people with print.” Corden (2000 p.30).
This activity is suitable for a low achiever since it is a paired supportive learning context. Pairing the pupil with a partner of slightly higher literacy ability may be beneficial. For example, a partner with good writing skills paired with a partner with poor speaking skills.
The specific knowledge, skills, and understanding which may be formatively assessed may include the following:

• quality of ideas/discussion/interaction
• quality of story structure and cohesion
• use of cohesive ties/connectives
• expansion using complex sentences
• use of cohesive devises such as pronouns
• avoidance of repetition
• understanding of genre
• use of ‘indefinite article’
• awareness of audience and empathy with reader
• develop ability to move in and out of reader/writer role (indicates development of literary sophistication)

Corden (2000)

The above learning objectives may be used for applying attainment target levels for summative assessment, but may also be used for formative assessment opportunities. Through diagnostic assessment during guided text work sessions, initial literacy targets or further data on progress in the learning objectives can be identified for both partners.

The Activity Process for Creating a Fairytale:

• Brainstorm story ideas and make storytelling pattern.
• Discuss how to write the story.
• Develop a sense of cohesion and knowledge of how to use cohesive ties, such as ‘so’, ‘when’, ‘until’, and ‘finally’, for expanding simple sentences to complex sentences.
• Explore cohesive devices such as pronouns ‘he’, ‘him’, ‘his’, ‘they’, and ‘who’, for holding text together and easier reading.
• Develop skill of avoiding repetition, such as ‘one day’, and substitute with ‘until’.
• Change opening determiner ‘This’ (king) to indefinite article ‘A’ (king), and choose ‘Once’ to establish fairytale genre.

Corden (2000)

Development and Extension Opportunities:

This activity promotes development in ‘Speaking skills’ 1a-f, ‘Listening skills’ 2a-e, ‘Group discussion and interaction skills’ 3a-f, ‘Drama skills’ 4a-d, and Standard English and Language variation skills, 5, and 6a-c. It also addresses the breadth of study requirements for speaking 8a-c, listening 9a-c, and drama 11a-c, DfEE (1998), DfEE (2000a), DfEE (2000b), DfES (2006), QCA/NC (2007).
An introductory programme of lessons featuring the learning objectives should precede as preparation for the shared writing of the fairytale. For example, lesson objectives may feature learning on cohesives, and appropriate timing and placing in sentences. Mercer (2000) affirms the crucial role of learning the functions of cohesive ties for producing continuity in texts.

Media Development:

A film can be shown of the story to develop an understanding of the genre of the fairytale. Marsh & Millard (2000) refer to the speaking and listening advantages that television and film can offer pupils for building shared meanings from mutual interests. Myers & Burnett (2004) suggest the strategy of preparing charts and guidelines to structure effective listening. Questions can be given afterwards for focusing and developing pupils’ listening skills, and as a further speaking activity. Corden (2000) suggests a ‘generic framework’ for pupils consisting of ‘opening’, ‘setting’, ‘plot’, etcetera, and a set of related questions such as: How does the story begin? What are the main events?
In order to develop a low achieving pupil, the answers to the questions could be elicited through the strategic use of a group activity. Marsh and Millard (2000) confirm that communication only becomes meaningful during interaction with others, and thus highlight the importance of developing language as a mutual process.

Reading Aloud and Group Discussion and Interaction Development:

Speaking development activities are:-

• reading aloud (8a)
• presenting to different audiences (8b) DfES (2006), QCA/NC (2007).

The fairytale that the pair interactively creates can be presented to the class. The pair takes turns to read sections, thus lending moral support to each other. This is an opportunity for summative assessment of the final outcome. It can also be formatively assessed for informing further learning, such as, enhancing various aspects of the genre. Questions can be taken from class members after the reading, to which the pair can then individually respond.
Corden (2000) proposes presenting to different audiences through group work strategies such as ‘rainbowing’, and states that this activity is effective for interpretative material such as poems and stories. For example, the technique can be used for drafting and redrafting of the story openings. Each group member is assigned a colour, and works collaboratively on a task. When completed, members reform into new groups based on their colours. In the colour groups pupils share and refine ideas, and compare and discuss what they have achieved. This presents opportunities for pupils to clarify their learning and to question others.
The ‘rainbowing’ group strategy is effective in its own right for developing speaking and listening skills, and for learning about the narrative fairytale genre.

Listening Development:

The whole class draw a key object or character from their fairytale. A pupil is then selected to describe their image to the rest of the class. The pupils listen attentively to the descriptive details provided by the pupil, in order to create an accurate image. The outcomes can be used for diagnostic or formative assessments of listening skills, Myers & Burnett (2004).

Drama Development:

Pupils can use their fairytales as further development in speaking and listening skills by improvising in role, producing play scripts of their stories, and performing them, DfES (2006), QCA/NC (2007). Techniques such as ‘freezeframe’ and ‘hotseating’ can be employed by pupils to enhance speaking and listening skills.

Standard English and Language Variation Development:

The fairytale activity is an opportunity to investigate the differences between standard and non-standard English. For example, the use of dialects in the fairytale genre can be examined. A scene from their fairytale play scripts can be re-written using their local dialect and presented to the class. This offers another formative or summative assessment opportunity.
Further speaking and listening development can include creating an invented language, DfEE (1998, 54, W7), Corden (2000). ‘Word webs’ can be produced on various themes and investigated in ‘jigsaw’ groups. Home groups have responsibility for investigating words for different themes. Reorganised expert groups then focus on a specific word theme. On return to their home groups they report their findings, Corden (2000). Pairs can invent words based on their group research and use them in sections of their stories. Readings of these can be used for formative or summative assessments.