Speaking, Listening, Learning: Working with children in KS1 and 2 - professional development materials

Speaking and listening, as defined in the National Curriculum, plays an important role in children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. They require a consistent approach by all members of the teaching and support staff in a school.

Planning for speaking and listening across the curriculum is a whole-school enterprise and shared development serves to encourage all staff to undertake new approaches to teaching, as well as ensuring consistency in strategy and practice.

These materials have been designed to support staff in revising their approach to speaking and listening by providing suggestions for explicit professional development. The materials begin with a model for a staff planning meeting to initiate the process of identifying appropriate opportunities for embedding speaking and listening objectives across the curriculum.

This is followed by five professional development modules, which contain suggested classroom activities and resources which can be used to consolidate key listening and speaking objectives.

The teaching sequences included in each module cover a wide range of language features, such as giving instructions, formulating and expressing opinions, using language for organisational purposes, presentation skills and giving and responding to constructive criticism. The final module explores the use of drama to develop language. All modules are supported by video material, which is included in the pack in DVD format.

Note that this document replaces DfES 0625 2003.