Oracy
The human voice is amazing and the ability to use it effectively is a superpower!
Oracy - the art of speaking - is an important part of our curriculum at Uckfield College. Did you know that the human voice is virtually unique? It’s an important part of our identities!
Speaking well enables students to:
- express themselves clearly: a vital skill for education and for life!
- understand, process and embed new concepts and knowledge.
- build their self-esteem and confidence, aiding their wellbeing. If students can be supported by school to talk with purpose and confidence, they are more likely to achieve, feel fulfilled and be happy.
- combat frustration and embarrassment.
- achieve social mobility (inarticulacy is one of the greatest barriers to this).
We strive to develop clear, articulate, speakers who can make points, argue their cases, listen carefully to each other, build on the ideas of others and respectfully debate and disagree when they need to.
In our classrooms, we believe we should value every voice (not just the loudest!) Teachers use teaching strategies that facilitate all students participating in speaking activities, even if they lack confidence at first. We encourage students to express their ideas fully, developing and extending their ideas when they speak and using subject-specific vocabulary.
During their time at Uckfield College, students will have many and varied opportunities to develop their oracy skills during lessons through paired talk, group discussions and debates, presentations and more. The PDT programme includes regular discussions on news-related topics. They will also take part in specially-designed public speaking days, which support them to produce fantastic speeches and coach them on how to deliver these in an impactful manner. They may even get the chance to lead a year group Assembly!
What can parents and carers do to support their children with Oracy?
Parents and carers play an important role in helping students develop their Oracy skills. Here are just a few examples:
- Encourage your child to discuss and debate issues with you at home, so that they hear different opinions, develop their own viewpoint, and practise having their say on topics they are interested in. This can be anything from something on the news, to a sport result, to their news literacy topic from PDT that fortnight.
- If your child is revising using flash cards, play a game in which you pick one and challenge them to verbalise 3 key things about that topic in clear sentences with you checking against the other side of the card.
- If your child is going to be giving a presentation, let them practise with you and be a friendly, supportive ear. Are they clear? Is their talk organised and easy to follow? Are they speaking in a way that is appropriately formal?
- Play word games that include talking like Taboo, Articulate and Just A Minute, which involve lots of describing and explaining!
- Reinforce rules about respectful listening and not interrupting and explain why those are important life skills.
