2023 - Oral Language Focus

 Speaking vs Talking

This year I have decided to return my focus to oral language. (jt was my 2021 focus).  This is due to the challenges faced by my students in both speech, and language. 

In the area of speech - articulation, fluency, and the way the voice is used are all areas that require support. 

When I focus of the ‘Language’ of Oral Language, I can see that knowing what words mean and putting words together correctly are two vital areas to develop. 

A member of our NE/YR 1 team, Deb Shirley, created a wonderful resource during her year of study with MIT (Manaiakalani Innovative Teachers). It's an assessment of four areas of oral language: Conversational Style, Grammar and Articulation (my focus), Vocabulary and Expressive Language, and Receptive Language and Meaning Making. This resource allows the teacher (me) to gather data to assess a child's oral language capability, and then re-test at a later date to assess growth over time.

At this stage I’m not sure if I’ll work on both speech and language, or just focus on one area.  However, the question I have for my Teacher Inquiry is:  Will focus on the ‘speech’ of oral language help students to confidently express themselves in the ‘language’ of oral language?

I'm eager to begin testing and finding ways to 'grow' the oral language of the wonderful students in my space.