ORACY
at The Winterton Federation
The Four Strands of Speaking and Listening: Speaking; Listening; Group Discussion and Interaction; and Drama permeate the whole curriculum.
Interactive teaching strategies are used to engage all pupils, in order to raise reading and writing standards. Children are encouraged to develop effective communication skills in readiness for later life. In addition to opportunities within class, there are speaking and listening opportunities during weekly assemblies and occasion assemblies such as: Harvest, Christmas, Easter and Summer.
Approaches to Reading in Years 2 to 6 (once phonics is completed): every classroom adult and every child in school is involved in a guided reading group. Guided Reading groups have a ‘Reading Leader’. The Reading Leader (an adult in school) is responsible for their reading group, which is made up of several children (up to 9 children) who are of a similar reading ability.
Every child works with their Reading Leader and their group in one of the sessions. Children are also expected to read at home every day so that the specified number of pages are read in preparation for their next guided reading session the following day. This enables the child to interact successfully in every adult guided reading session. In Reception and Year 1, children are grouped according to ability and carry out daily reading sessions linked to phonics. Children in Nursery may also attend daily phonics sessions if they are deemed ready.
The Reading Leader encourages the use of phonics knowledge to increase fluency, as well as posing questions in order to check understanding of the text, exploring the author’s style of writing, and the use of punctuation and language. The children join in discussions around the content, characters and genre of the book and make comparisons with other literature that they have read previously.
In Years 2 to 6, if a child has not read the pages set in the independent session and at home, they are expected to complete their reading during playtime/lunchtime. We are continuing to invest in a wide range of quality, exciting and stimulating fiction and nonfiction books, including cross curricular and multi-cultural examples. There is an expectation that every book is treated with care and is always brought back to school every day. Books are carefully selected by the Reading Leader to accommodate the children in their group in relation to both their reading and writing ability. Occasionally, a more difficult book may be chosen to challenge the children’s reading ability. However, a book, more in line with the level the children are writing at, may be chosen, to enable the children to explore the elements found within it (grammar, punctuation, style, description, etc) as a tool to develop their own writing skills further.
In Years 2 to 6, during the Reading Leader led session, children have an opportunity to read out loud. The Reading Leader also reads to their group, modelling the use of expression and punctuation. Throughout these sessions, the children are encouraged to ‘magpie’ any ‘wow’ words and phrases or writing styles they come across, to be used later in their own writing. If a child comes across any words that they are unfamiliar with, they are encouraged to discuss these with their Reading Leader during their adult-led guided reading session, or, when reading at home, they should be encouraged to look in a dictionary or discuss any unfamiliar words with an adult at home, making a note of the definition of the word in their notebooks for later reference and use. There is no expectation for adults to comment in the reading notebook but we, of course, welcome any contribution Parents/Carers wish to make in relation to their child’s home reading.
During the Reading Leader led sessions, every child is expected to contribute to reading and discussions. During their home reading, again the child is expected to maintain self-discipline and reading stamina by completing the pages set either by reading quietly and independently or out loud with an adult (or a combination of both).
At The Winterton Federation, we believe that being able to speak, listen and communicate well is just as important as reading, writing and maths. Oracy—learning through talk and learning to talk—is woven through everything we do because it helps children learn, think and thrive.
Oracy supports children in many important ways:
Builds confidence – Children learn to express their ideas clearly and speak in front of others.
Improves learning – Talking through ideas helps pupils understand new concepts across all subjects.
Develops vocabulary – Speaking and listening activities help children learn and use new words.
Supports writing and reading – When children can say it, they can often write it.
Encourages positive relationships – Through talk, pupils learn to listen, take turns and respect others’ opinions.
Closes gaps – Oracy gives every child a voice, including those who may find speaking more challenging.
We build oracy into everyday learning in a variety of ways:
- Talk partners and group discussions to help children explore ideas together.
- Think-Pair-Share routines so everyone has a chance to speak and listen.
- Full-sentence answers and use of key vocabulary across all subjects.
- Sentence stems and scaffolding to support pupils who need more help.
- Debates, drama, storytelling and role play to develop confidence and expression.
- Opportunities to perform and present, such as year group plays and performances and class presentations.
- Active listening skills are taught and encouraged in every classroom.
Our Vision
We want every child at The Winterton Federation to have the confidence to speak and to use vocabulary to express themselves, whilst developing the ability to listen and respond thoughtfully to others. By making oracy a key part of our curriculum, we help children learn more deeply, communicate effectively and prepare for life beyond primary school.
