Reflection

“By giving our students practice talking with others, we give them frames for thinking on their own.”

– Lev Vygotsky

Oral language serves as the foundation for literacy development. It includes the expressive (speaking) and receptive (listening) aspects of language. The Speaking and Listening domain within the GA Standards of Excellence outlines expectations for engaging in conversations and presenting information to a variety of audiences. Learning to converse and effectively communicate ideas to others is a process that begins naturally and slowly in the primary years and continues to progress throughout the grades.

Speaking

Classroom communities where students are engaged in conversations about books, orally explaining how to solve problems, and discussing concepts that are being learned cultivate the development of oral language. In these classrooms, students are encouraged to use dialogue to clarify their thinking and to deepen their learning. These conversations encourage students to consider different ideas and think more deeply and critically about issues. Teachers must intentionally and purposefully plan opportunities for meaningful conversations to occur as part of daily instruction and assessment in all content areas. "Through discussion, students learn to process and compare their thoughts with others as they become increasingly effective listeners, speakers, and citizens" (Schmoker, 2023).

Oral language skills are acquired over time and through a variety of venues. Students learn to speak confidently and coherently when they are explicitly taught or coached using listening and speaking protocols like the ones below. With practice, they acquire skills that will enable them to make relevant contributions to class discussions, express feelings and opinions effectively, and demonstrate knowledge through formal presentations.

Explore the Protocols for Speaking and Listening listed below.

Listening

Don't assume that your students know how to listen. Although listening seems natural and automatic, active listening must be taught. All students can be taught to be better listeners.

Slant2

Teachers can create a supportive environment for listening by intentionally and purposefully doing some of the things below:

Establish norms that reflect how attentive listening is valued.
Discuss the etiquette of listening and emphasizing the importance of the audience in a speaking-listening situation.
Model good listening behaviors.
Ensure that students understand the purpose of their oral activities.
Explicitly teach listening skills using strategies like SLANT or Cornell Notes. (Click here for a primary version of the SLANT poster.)

Suggested Listening Activities

Teachers can design a range of activities that engage students in opportunities for listening such as
• show and tell
• read-alouds
• listening and speaking in pairs, small groups, and large groups
• listening for a variety of purposes
• listening in informal and formal, one-way and interactive situations
• participating in productive talk to construct or clarify understanding
• writing conversationally

RCSS Cross-Curricular Listening and Speaking Expectations

Teachers will establish, model, and practice speaking and listening protocols.
Teachers will provide frequent opportunities for students to orally present their learning.
Students will engage in academic conversations around standards-based topics each day.

Level Up Your Instruction through Reflective Practice

Taking time to explicitly teach speaking and listening protocols like the ones shared above can create positive and productive learning environments. Identify at least three listening or speaking activities you would like to try this year. When you try your new strategy, check out the Swivl Robot from your media center, record yourself teaching, and watch the recorded the lesson. This reflective practice will help you level up your instruction.

To learn how one school uses Swivl to improve student achievement, click here. For assistance setting up your school's Swivl robot, reach out to your school's media specialist.

Additional Resources

Classroom Protocols
Protocols from School Reform Initiative
Strengthening Students’ Speaking and Listening Skills
Speaking and Listening in Content Area Learning By: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey

References

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/adlit_pg_082608.pdf#page=27
Schmoker, Mike (2023). Results Now 2.0: The untapped opportunities for swift, dramatic gains in achievement. ASCD, Arlington, VA.