REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER

Back in the 1970s, influential educator and writer, James Britton, coined what became a key concept in education, namely that “Reading and writing float on a sea of talk.” His statement perfectly encapsulates the critical nature of what we refer to as oracy, and it highlights why a rich oral experience in an early learning environment is so important.

The early years are a time of laying the foundations for later more complex experiences with reading, writing and speaking. As such, if we are to take the advice in the quote mentioned above seriously, we need to foster an environment rich in speaking. This is certainly the case in the ELS. One only has to observe a typical class in action to see how much talking is taking place, whether between the teachers and the children, or among the children themselves.

The term ‘oracy’ was also created several decades ago, as experts in the field sought to come up with a word which built on the terms

‘numeracy’ (mathematics). It was a useful way to focus on the importance of oral skills and of being able to articulate what one wanted to say, in a way which made sense and which conveyed a particular meaning.

It is a fascinating experience to watch the children interacting, not only in their physical movements but especially in their first tentative explorations of spoken language. As we all know from experience, they really are like sponges in the early years, absorbing words, phrases and nuances of language from those around them.

The spoken language not only provides opportunities for social interactions but it also opens the door to exploration of knowledge and skills. As such, in the ELS, opportunities for expanding the spoken language skills of the children are explicitly sought. While much talking in the ELS is casual and socially interactive, there are also those moments in which the children are deliberately introduced to new words, in order to expand their vocabularies, through which the meaning of words and phrases can be spoken about.

There are many ways in which we can encourage children to use language in an exploratory and rich way. Because we know that children learn most effectively through those around them, it helps tremendously for us to be good models of how language is used. We have probably all experienced those moments where our children have mimicked something verbatim –and we have known exactly who said it originally! So we should realise that our own use of spoken language has a powerful impact on how our children will learn to use the spoken word.

Hopefully the coming weekend – and the weeks to come – will provide special opportunities to engage with your child through conversations and by exploring interesting words and phrases. It really is a wonderful avenue to discuss fascinating topics and to broaden the horizons of knowledge and wonder.

Enjoy your weekend!

Dee Pitcairn Principal