Page 16 - The East Sussex Way

Create meaningful talk opportunities across the school
to discover, explore and communicate Þ ndings/ideas.
For example, ask pupils to feed back verbally on learning
using subject knowledge and key vocabulary to deepen
understanding.

Suggested strategies:
• Enquiry questions
• Intriguing hooks
• Controversial questions
• ‘Big’ questions

Next steps
Keep them talking

Base entire lessons around discussion and exploratory talk,
for example using a drip-fed-facts approach requiring
pupils to work in pairs to build on a hypothesis as facts are
slowly revealed to them.

Provide reassurance that evidence of talk activities is not
required. Pupils take more risks if there is no formal writing
involved. If a record of thoughts is needed, use mini-
whiteboards or ß ipchart paper.

Use visual cues to support explanations using oracy skills.
For instance, concept cartoons in science to explain
processes or picture prompts to explain a key event in
history.

Ensure that teachers and pupils have a shared
understanding of what ‘good talk’ looks like. Provide
models of how to listen actively, disagree politely and
have discussions which build rather than repeat or dispute.

Suggested strategies:
• Decision makers
• Continuums
• Posters with no words

Advanced steps
Improve their talk over time

Encourage teachers to develop talk-centred lesson
sequences and schemes of learning, perhaps building up

11 to a verbal assessment.