Research School Network: ‘We need to talk about Oracy’ – tackling disadvantage through talk. Part one: Structured talk; Part two: Maths focus

“We need to talk about oracy.” These are Geoff Barton’s opening words within the Future of Oracy report from the Oracy Education Commission. I think as teachers we understand the principle of talk and its ability to accelerate progress for students, but particularly, post 2020, this is something increasingly high on the agenda of teachers and policy makers alike as an acknowledgement of its significant role in levelling the playing field.

For those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, it is recognised by the EEF that these students are more likely to be behind their more advantaged peers with language and speech skills, which is then carried with them throughout their education into secondary school and provides a barrier to their attainment (see the Teaching and Learning toolkit – Communication and Language approaches).

Although there is some disagreement over an exact definition, let’s work to the idea that oracy is about the development of students’ ability to talk and articulate their ideas within the classroom and beyond. 

Talk and effective communication in speaking and writing is not only the gateway to academic success, but also success in the wider world of work. It is no surprise that the Oracy Education Commission believes that oracy education is key to addressing the disadvantage gap. 

Oracy develops metacognitive skills, and when it is effectively guided and modelled, it enhances students’ understanding (see the Metacognition Guidance report for further details). Oracy also provides opportunities to articulate, justify, and expand ideas and viewpoints. This blog will draw upon research on language and communication interventions to look at strategies for implementing oracy and provide students with a toolkit for greater academic success. 

The starting point for this is students learning about talk. Students need to understand the importance of developing oral language and its role in broader communication skills. In a classroom setting to make this purposeful it might be that these planned opportunities are provided with subject specific skills in mind. There is a link between building ideas verbally and improved written response and it is important to build students’ understanding of this. 

When introducing structured talk in this way, much like with any new skill or knowledge, explicit models and toolkits allow students to understand how to structure talk for success. We do this by providing purposeful opportunities for discussion and debate. For example, in History, students evaluating whether Elizabeth I was a successful monarch could engage in structured debate, using talking frames to explore and challenge different viewpoints, before writing their conclusions.

When students approach an evaluation-based question, which might be approached simply as a written response opportunity, it is a perfect structured talk opportunity too. 

This can be modelled through an example response from the teacher to enhance student understanding of how this should be done prior to student discussion. Important with any strategy, is the ongoing role of the teacher. In a discussion-based task, students are being encouraged to engage with each other, but the role of the teacher is to guide this and intervene when required to ensure students are being challenged to think more deeply. 

Producing student talk toolkits can also provide an effective scaffold to talk, considering the kinds of statements we might use to respond to others in discussion, to add to other contributions and to challenge ideas effectively without simply asserting that other views are wrong. 

Much like we might provide scaffolds and sentence starters to develop student ability to apply knowledge into written skills, these verbal scaffolds can provide students with a framework for successful talk. 

As with any scaffold, these allow the opportunity to build the routine for talk and develop the confidence to approach talk-based tasks. Not only this, but if students can structure talk and deliver effectively, this improves how this then translates to a written response.

It is also important to consider opportunities for ongoing talk to embed expectations and the routines for talk within the classroom. 

This is something to consider for preplanned hinge points within lessons and where this can create an opportunity for talk. For example, ​‘Think, Pair, Share’ is a fantastic way to pose a new concept, question, or an image to students which can create an opportunity for discussion. 

Again, this should be guided by the teacher. By structuring the time for this, and making sure that teacher circulation happens, we can capture ​‘data’ through the responses we hear – it is a way to check for understanding.

Turn and Talk is also an effective strategy to develop students’ ability to formulate and verbalise ideas. 

During a lesson, the teacher poses a question or prompt and asks students to briefly discuss their ideas with a partner before sharing with the class. 

This allows all students to work collaboratively to develop ideas and process this into a verbal response. It provides a low stakes opportunity for discussion with a partner before presenting an idea to the whole class. 

Not only does this encourage participation, but also builds confidence and enhances understanding and skills for reasoning which is essential for an effective oracy strategy.

To support students in developing high quality verbal responses that align with written skill requirements, it is also important to explicitly embed subject specific commands such as ​“Describe,” ​“Explain,” and ​“Why is that important?” into classroom discussion. 

By modelling these terms and phrases, and encouraging students to develop responses around these commands, this reinforces the structure and requirements of written responses. 

This can be done through sentence starters, scaffolds for talk and through questioning that promotes student response in a particular way. 

For example, a teacher might ask, ​“Can you explain that factor, using key terms?” or ​“Why do you think that is significant?”. 

This approach enhances oracy and creates ongoing opportunities for this, but also builds understanding of what is meant with these ​‘command’ words.

Finally, it is important that through verbal responses, students are encouraged to give their best verbal response. 

This provides an opportunity for ​“say it again, but better”, requiring students to consider original responses and to improve this (Lemov, 2021). 

A student may be able to do this without support; others may require scaffolds for this and guidance on words and phrases that should be included. 

As a teacher, through questioning, you may have identified a misconception, and this could be a good opportunity for students to turn to their neighbour and discuss ideas before coming together again as a class for a whole class feedback opportunity. 

All of the above requires careful planning. 

Teachers must build routines for oracy that can become embedded into classroom culture. 

Even where this might be in the moment based on assessment for learning strategies, as the teacher we need to set and narrate the expectation of what this should look like and how students will be held accountable for this.

Within Maths lessons students can often lack confidence, making them reluctant to contribute to the lesson both verbally and through their written answers. 

Oracy is key in building student confidence. 

If students can discuss the answer to a question posed and verbalise their responses, they are more likely to contribute to class discussion and complete written work, which in turn improves student understanding and outcomes. 

Using the TOLD approach (EEF, 2022) along with diagnostic questions is one way to achieve high quality classroom talk alongside checking for pupil understanding in Maths.

When posing a diagnostic question such as ​‘Expand 10(x + 4) – 3(2x + 3)’, students first complete the question in their books individually, showing full working out. 

When completed, the multiple-choice answers are revealed and show misconceptions and common errors.

Students then find the answer (which matches the one in their book) raising their hand when their letter is called out.

Instantly, all students have contributed to the lesson, and we know if they have fully understood the concept before moving on. 

However, to ensure that all students are confident with their answer before revealing the correct answer, students are asked to justify the response they have given following the ​‘opportunities and ​‘link’ of the ​‘TOLD approach’. 

This allows students to verbalise their method, no matter if they have the question right or wrong, which is especially effective if students within the classroom have chosen different solutions. 

This is also an opportunity to utilise the ​‘Debate’ element of the ​‘TOLD approach’ by asking students questions such as ​‘Did anyone approach the question differently?’ or ​‘Can anyone spot the mistake for any of the incorrect answers?’. 

If all students have initially chosen the right answer, questions such as ​‘Why did you not choose option B?’ can be utilised here. 

This allows students to think more deeply, identifying the misconceptions themselves and therefore avoiding these errors in the future.

An essential condition for successful structured talk is a consistent culture of communication. 

We have emphasised already the need for talk to be planned, purposeful and guided, but we must also consider how to make this front and centre of the curriculum and not treated as an afterthought. 

This type of thinking must be deliberately embedded within planning of curriculum. 

It is also important that students understand the value of oracy to invest meaningfully into it, where this not only has a role in academic success, but also in preparation for the wider world.

At Etone, communication is central to what it means to be an Etone learner. 

We make it explicit to students by highlighting where these skills are being developed in lesson and why they are important, particularly in workplaces, where communication supports productivity to reduce errors and build effective relationships and collaboration – a concept that if understood during their education, will enhance skills and opportunity for employment. 

This culture begins each day through form time activities, rewards linked to employability skills, and assemblies and learning for life sessions that connect oracy to employability and to our school values. 

This focus continues throughout the curriculum, where communication is modelled and rewarded within subject areas and signposted explicitly to encourage students to recognise where they are developing these skills.

• Oracy is vital for supporting disadvantaged students and narrowing the attainment gap.
• Structured talk helps students make sense of their ideas and strengthens written responses.
• Just like reading and writing, oracy needs to be taught explicitly and clearly modelled to students.
• Build opportunities for talk linked to subject content - this should be planned purposefully.
• Use scaffolds, like sentence starters and talking frames, to give students a toolkit for talk.
• The teacher role is central to success: Guide discussion, intervene, when necessary, challenge students to think hard about verbal responses.
• Regular routines like ​‘Think, Pair, Share’ embed talk into practice.
• Oracy should be part of curriculum planning and school culture- not just an occasional event in the classroom.

Further reading:

Bilton, C. and Duff, A., 2021. Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2. Guidance Report. Education Endowment Foundation.

Quigley, A., Muijs, D. and Stringer, E., 2018. Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning. Guidance Report. Education Endowment Foundation.

Henderson, P., Hodgen, J., Foster, C. and Kuchemann, D., 2022. Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3. Guidance Report. Education Endowment Foundation.

Lemov, D., 2021. Teach like a champion 3.0: 63 techniques that put students on the path to college. John Wiley & Sons.