Speaking and Listening Toolkit

Explaining and Assessing Talk Skills

Key questions informing action research:

 How can we “name” and describe speaking and listening
skills in a way that students can understand?

 How can we assess students’ talk skills and recognise

progress?

 How can we encourage students to reflect on and

evaluate their talk and set targets for improvement?

Resources included:
○ Speaking and listening strategies and prompts
○ Talk skills checklist for self/peer/teacher assessment,
based on Year 7 key Framework objectives
○ Positive and negative roles in group work
 Speaking and Listening Strategies and Prompts
Asking questions
Summing up information
Building on what others say
Listening with concentration
Thinking about/planning what to say
Varying language to suit the task and the
audience
Recognising different types of spoken texts
Using talk for thinking
Reflecting and evaluating
Speaking clearly and confidently
Sustaining talk
Collaborating
Adopting different roles in a group
Using drama techniques
Can I ask relevant questions that help to clarify
ideas and move discussion on?
Can I draw together the threads of a discussion
and sum up the main ideas to show I’ve
understood them?
Can I add my own ideas and opinions in a
relevant and helpful way?
Can I listen to information and remember the main
points and the details?
Can I take the time to process my thoughts and
shape my ideas before sharing them with others?
Can I adapt how I talk, and what I talk about, to
suit different situations, including formal ones?
Can I recognise and use the features of different
types of talk, e.g. explaining an idea, giving
instructions, arguing a point of view?
Can I explore ideas by talking about them with
others? Can I use talk to speculate and
hypothesise, e.g. by asking “what if”
Can I think about how effective my speaking and
listening skills are and know how to improve
them?
Can others hear and understand what I am
saying? Are my ideas clearly organised and
sequenced? Can I present my ideas to others with
confidence?
Can I use evidence and detail to support my ideas
and opinions? Can I help keep a discussion
going?
Can I work effectively with others to explore ideas,
solve problems and carry out different tasks?
Can I take on different roles in discussion and
contribute to the group in different ways?
Can I experiment with language and use it
creatively in a variety of drama roles and
situations?
 Speaking and listening skills: Year 7
Assessment rating: Assessment: Where
 confident I can do this use symbol evidence for
 not sure I can always do this and assessment
 not good at this yet S = self came from
P = peer
T = teacher
SPEAKING KEY OBJECTIVE: Use talk to help me explore ideas and solve problems
LISTENING KEY OBJECTIVE: Listen carefully to identify key points and understand
ideas
GROUP WORK KEY OBJECTIVE: Use talk to help me discuss ideas in a group and
make decisions
I can state my own ideas and opinions

I can listen to other people’s ideas and build on

what they say

I can ask questions to check my understanding

of what’s been said

I can explain what I mean clearly so that others

understand me

I can listen with concentration to remember main

points and details

I can reflect and evaluate to think about how well

I have met the key objectives for speaking and
listening

I can set targets for improving my speaking and

listening skills and know how to meet them
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ROLES IN GROUP WORK

POSITIVE ROLES

INITIATOR: Keeps the discussion going with new ideas.

QUESTIONER: Asks questions which help the group to think and explore.

EXPLAINER: Repeats and explains ideas to the rest of the group.

ORGANISER: Plans how the group will work.

ENCOURAGER: Encourages others in the group by listening, giving positive feedback and
supporting.

HELPER: Helps the group by making sure that everyone is involved and by helping
people to see each others’ point of view.

NEGATIVE ROLES

BULLY: Bullies others in the group by shouting or being sarcastic.

MOANER: Goes on and on about not liking the work, or about something unimportant,
instead of getting on.

BLOCKER: Stops the group from getting on by saying things like: “That’s obvious”,
“What’s the point?” or “We know all that!”

DOMINATOR Takes over the group and does not allow others to speak or make
decisions.

BREAKAWAY Talks with a friend rather than the whole group.

DREAMER Takes no part and no interest in the discussion.

 Speaking and Listening Toolkit

Activities Focusing on Talk

Key questions informing action research:

 What talk activities can we use with students to create a
safe environment for talk?

 How can we engage and involve students in talk

activities and raise the status of talk in the classroom?

 How can we effectively manage classroom talk?

Resources included:
○ “Crosstalk” group problem solving activity
○ Thinking hats poster and explanations
○ Counter activity and Speaker’s Corner
○ Diamond nine discussion cards and peer observers’
recording/feedback sheet (ranked most to least
important in diamond pattern)
○ 5Ws and a How question cards to encourage students
to formulate questions about processes, events, texts
‘Crosstalk’ – Problem solving

Teacher Notes

Summary
The idea behind this activity is to demonstrate the importance of everyone’s
input in group discussion.
The groups have to share 12 clues in order to solve a problem, however,
they are not allowed to read each other’s clues. Clues have to be spoken.
(This usually warrants the response, “That’s stupid!” At this point, remind
pupils to follow the rules and ask them to raise any questions at the end of
the activity. By the end of the activity, most pupils will have worked out the
significance of this rule!)

Instructions

1. Split the class into groups of 6

2. Explain the rules
3. Give out 2 clues per person, laying them face down until the class
are ready to start.
4. Remind them that they must not show their clues to anyone else in
their group.

(You could appoint an observer for each group to feedback the strategies
used in attempting to solve the problem.)

Resources

You will need 10 different coloured squares of card for each group:

Pink Brown White Yellow Blue Orange

Black Purple Red Green

You will also need 12 clues per group, cut into strips. (See separate sheet)
Crosstalk
Task: To obtain the correct sequence of colours.

Rules: No pens or paper allowed

You must not show anyone else the information

on your pieces of paper.

You have ____ minutes to complete the task.

1. There are 4 colours separating PINK and RED.

2. 1 colour separates PURPLE and RED.

3. BLACK is next to PINK.

4. BLACK is left of PURPLE.

5. YELLOW is on extreme right.

6. YELLOW and BLUE make GREEN.

7. PINK and ORANGE are separated by one colour.

8. RED is next to GREEN.

9. 1 colour separates YELLOW and BROWN.

10. PURPLE is next to ORANGE.

11. BLUE is on extreme left.

12. BROWN is next to WHITE.

Teacher’s Answer Sheet

Blue

Pink

Black

Orange

Purple

Green

Red

Brown

White

Yellow
The 'Six Thinking Hats' is a quick, simple and powerful technique to improve your
thinking. It does this by encouraging you to recognize what type of thinking you are
using, and to apply different types of thinking to the subject.

Sounds strange? Take two minutes to expand your thinking skills…

We all use different types of thinking, usually without realizing it. For example, if we are feeling
pessimistic about the situation, that is the only type of thinking we apply! This limits our ability to see all
the issues.

The White Hat is cold, neutral, and objective. Take time to look at
the facts and figures.

The Red Hat represents anger (seeing red). Take time to listen to
your emotions, your intuition.

The Black Hat is gloomy and negative. Take time to look at why
this will fail.

The Yellow Hat is sunny and positive. Take time to be hopeful and
optimistic.

The Green Hat is grass, fertile and growing. Take time to be

creative and cultivate new ideas.

The Blue Hat is the color of the sky, high above us all. Take time to
look from a higher and wider perspective to see whether you are
addressing the right issue.

You can also think of the hats as pairs:

White and Red

Black and Yellow

Green and Blue

Next time you are thinking through an issue, try on de Bono's thinking
hats. You'll soon find that they give you a quick, simple, and powerful
technique to improve your thinking.
 Counter Activity

You can influence the “quantity” of talk of the students in your class using counters. Each
time you make a verbal contribution to group/class talk you have to hand over a counter.

E.g. Red counters = you have to use at least the number you have been given. (You can make
additional contributions.) Most useful for those who are reluctant to contribute.

Blue counters = you can only contribute the number of comments that you have counters.
When they are all “spent” you can no longer contribute to the group/class discussion. (Useful
for those who make indiscriminate, poorly thought out contributions.)

Counters can be bought from www.supplyzone.org.uk for £4.24 for 500.

Speaker’s Corner

This activity is a long-term investment to encourage students to feel “safe” contributing

orally in class. All you need is a corner of your classroom. This is to become known as
“Speaker’s Corner”. I made a sign and decorated the wall with famous quotes. As a class we
made posters with all the reasons why it’s “good to talk” and used these to further decorate
the area. This area is to become sacred – anything can be said here with no adverse
consequences. (The length to which you go with this depends on you and your class! I even
went so far as to allow “inappropriate” language until the novelty wore off.) Students should
then be allowed and encouraged to move to this corner if they have something to say but
need the support of a safe-haven.

A Selection of Quotes for Speaker’s Corner.

“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.”
John Stuart Mill

“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa

“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951)

“The only weapon that becomes sharper with constant use is the tongue.”
Anonymous
“The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's observation, not
overturning it.”
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
Epictetus
 Having something to be
Having a lot of money Career success
proud of

Getting on well your family Earning a lot of money Having fun

Having a good group

Getting a good education Being happy
of friends

Having something to be
Having a lot of money Career success
proud of
Getting on well your family Earning a lot of money Having fun

Having a good group

Getting a good education Being happy
of friends
 Having something to be
Having a lot of money Career success
proud of

Getting on well your family Earning a lot of money Having fun

Having a good group

Getting a good education Being happy
of friends

Topic for discussion: what are the most important things in society?

Knowing
Someone Knowing
I’m wearing
telling me I helped
something
how well someone else
that’s very
I’ve done to achieve
fashionable

Having
Receiving
Overhearing the latest
marked work
someone saying accessory –
back with
how well mobile,
positive
I’ve done iPod or
comments
whatever
 Being thanked
Being friends Knowing I’ve by someone
with popular done the for being
people best I could considerate or
helpful

Knowing
Someone Knowing
I’m wearing
telling me I helped
something
how well someone else
that’s very
I’ve done to achieve
fashionable

Having
Receiving
Overhearing the latest
marked work
someone saying accessory –
back with
how well mobile,
positive
I’ve done iPod or
comments
whatever

Being thanked
Being friends Knowing I’ve by someone
with popular done the for being
people best I could considerate or
helpful
 Knowing
Someone Knowing
I’m wearing
telling me I helped
something
how well someone else
that’s very
I’ve done to achieve
fashionable

Having
Receiving
Overhearing the latest
marked work
someone saying accessory –
back with
how well mobile,
positive
I’ve done iPod or
comments
whatever

Being thanked
Being friends Knowing I’ve by someone
with popular done the for being
people best I could considerate or
helpful

Topic for discussion: What makes me feel good about myself?

WHO? WHO? WHO?

WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?

WHERE? WHERE? WHERE?

WHEN? WHEN? WHEN?

WHY? WHY? WHY?

HOW? HOW? HOW?

 Speaking and Listening Toolkit

Practical Tips and Resources

Key questions:
 What help do I need with technology to enable talk activities to go
smoothly?

 What would it be helpful to have in a bank of generic resources to

encourage classroom talk?

Resources included:
○ Tips for running a video-conferencing book club
○ Tips for filming groups of students
○ Cards describing group roles and responsibilities
○ Storyboards
○ Bloom’s taxonomy of questions for discussing any text
○ Ordering details for kinaesthetic toys (to aid students’
concentration in talk activities)