Research into Practice: Edition 5 Linking academic expertise with professional wisdom Focus: Responsive teaching - how can assessment for learning have impact?
Introduction Why is oracy important? Hart and Risley argue that ‘The amount and quality of the dialogue children experience at home is one of best predictors of their eventual academic attainment’ (2005). With this in mind there is a vital role for schools in supporting our learners to talk well. The work of numerous studies show that talk is productive for learning and understanding, that is, planned and scaffolded high quality talk should form a part of unlocking understanding. Whilst we might think of dialogue as being more important for subjects such as English, studies such as Robin Alexander’s 2015 EEF study show that improving classroom talk actually has the biggest gains in mathematics and science. When we plan for opportunities for learners to discuss we consider questions such as: • • •
At what point in the lesson might discussion be most useful? What will they need to have studied to have a full and effective discussion? What vocabulary do they need to have mastered to be specific in their discussions?
Oracy is at the heart of student engagement. Click through to the Oracy Cambridge framework to see how.
1
Research into Practice: Edition 5
Academic expertise Research summaries:
This 5 minute read ‘Disturbingly Different; 5 great dialogic talk moves’ by Alan Howe of Oracy Cambridge explains how a handful of highly productive ‘dialogic talk moves’, when used together in combination, are impactful in disturbing habitual behaviours.
In this 10 minute read Voicing Vocabulary Establishing and evaluating an oracy-centred approach to vocabulary development, the charity Voice 21 set out the active ingredient for oracy based vocabulary development.
Developing expertise: This 20 minute read Deliberative Discourse Idealised and Realised: Accountable Talk in the Classroom and in Civic Life by Michaels et al, investigate the importance of accountability to knowledge in classroom talk for civic life beyond the classroom.
Professional Wisdom Theory into practice Watch Beth Peakman and Charlotte Pottinger using a range of student engagement strategies underpinned by oracy in the primary classroom to develop a productive climate for learning. Guarav Dubay and Kerrie Tinson explain what makes good classroom talk and how you prepare/train students for talk in lesson.
2
Research into Practice: Edition 5
A round up of the current evidence from the EEF, Bristol University Summary Service and What Works Clearinghouse
Speak for Change: An All Party Parliamentary group review of speaking in the schools.
Reading skills, outcomes and interventions. A review of the evidence. (February 2023) The Bristol University Summary Service
Listening to, and learning from, parents in the attendance crisis (September 2023) Burtonshaw, S & Dorrell, E
Staff email intro Routine investigation of research provides a solid foundation on which to grow and develop pedagogy for us all to drive the best possible outcomes for our students. Research into Practice provides you with easy access to the latest educational research combined with practical application in the classroom.
3