I did some pupil voice recently, and a significant number of children said they can’t hear their peers in whole-class talk.
Audibility is a common problem, and a reason why many teachers repeat pupil responses – or simply don’t use pupil talk as a resource for learning. I think that’s a terrible shame.
It takes a bit of effort, but it really isn’t that difficult to create a culture where everyone can hear everyone – this is a very simple way of showing that you value pupil talk.
In classrooms where teachers encourage students to politely ask their peers to speak a bit louder, everything changes. Students are suddenly more empowered, they take more ownership and responsibility for their learning – and they start to speak louder!
Providing talk prompts to students can increase the quality of partner talk
Using an unexpected event as a P4C stimulus
An inspiring and practical article that will help you improve talk for learning
Why giving out ‘talking objects’ is worth the hassle
A book exploring another helpful structure to promote high-quality talk
How one Salford teacher has improved oracy in her classroom using The Volumiser!
More useful resources, including a Talk Tally to get pupils listening closely
Encouraging pupils to think more deeply in reflection and talk time