Oracy

 

Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage effectively with others through the spoken language.  At Marden Lodge, we believe the teaching of these skills is inherently important: indeed, they are the building blocks of a child’s learning; setting children up to be successful during their time in education and within the wider world.  By nurturing and developing these skills, we intend for every child to leave primary school equipped with them – ready for their future journeys.

From Nursery to Year 6, we have developed a multi-layered approach to oracy at Marden Lodge, ensuring each layer is truly embedded before moving children on.  When children first begin their journey with us, they are taught the rules of speaking and listening to each other.  They learn when and how to respond to others, and it is on these foundations that other skills are then built. Sentence stems are used throughout the school and curriculum areas to support the children’s understanding of how to speak in full sentences, using Standard English.  This understanding of how to articulate a sentence serves to support and nurture their writing skills.

Understanding how to speak appropriately to different people is a critical life skill we focus on developing.  Our intention is for children to leave equipped with the ability to interact effectively with people from all walks-of-life; supporting them as they enter the next stage in their education and beyond.

Everyone’s voice is important and through nurturing the children’s confidence in speaking and articulating their thoughts clearly, we develop their self-belief that their voice has value.  Opportunities for this occur in the classroom but also through our Pupil Parliament from Years 1 to 6.  By the time the children finish their time at Marden Lodge, our aim is that each and every one of them will be confident young people who understand the value of their voice and how and when to use it effectively.