Exploring Oracy
A practical approach to prioritising oracy in the curriculum for learners with complex additional needs
23 February 2024: 9am – 12 noon
The four pillars of our educational system are Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Their interrelationships are well known to be complex and interdependent. Speaking and Listening are the foundations of communication and facilitate the development of Reading and Writing. Oracy, the ability to express yourself fluently and clearly through speech, has implications for all areas of learning and life. So what does this mean for learners with complex additional needs who may have idiosyncratic ‘speech’, are reluctant to utter sounds, or rely on technology to do so? This course will explore a range of crucial issues that we may have in our classrooms and suggest ways to encourage and develop successful communication.
9 am Admission and virtual tea/coffee to start!
9.10 am Warm Up Session!
9.15 am Session 1: What is oracy, and how does it fit in developing speaking and listening skills?
In this session, we will cover:
The physical, linguistic, cognitive, social, and emotional strands of Oracy and how these influence the cognitive aspects of learning. We will discuss:
The difference between Critical and Performance Oracy and what this means for our learners.
Why oracy is an essential area of literacy development
Using oracy as a building block for other skills
10 am Session 2: Bridging the gap between receptive and expressive language
In this session, we will cover:
The role of holistic oracy in communication-friendly classrooms
Ideas to encourage reluctant speakers to participate
How and when to use AAC to support oracy
Using variation to change the dynamics of and participation in oracy activities in the classroom
10:30 am Coffee
10.45 am: Break out Room Task
11:00 am Session 3: The role of effective communication in behaviour management and self-regulation
In this session, we will cover:
Using personalised communication strategies to support positive behaviour approaches and raise learners’ self-esteem.
Using media as a stimulus for ideas to develop vocabulary
Ideas and strategies to overcome the social-emotional barriers to engaging in spoken work
Why learning to listen is integral to developing effective oracy
11.20 am Session 4: Practical ideas and activities to take away and use in your setting
In this session, we will cover:
The use of media to engage learners in oracy activities including voice recording, voice changing
The use of technology to record, assess and determine next steps
Sharing and celebrating: using social media
11.50 am Q&A
12 noon Plenary, thank you and goodbye!
This course will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and working with pupils with severe/complex learning needs and autism, or both.
Richard Hirstwood is passionate about enabling educators/practitioners to maximise the impact of delivering sensory learning opportunities, in a sensory room or other learning environments, with the available resources. His extensive experience is based on practical knowledge, giving him insight into what works and what doesn’t in multi sensory practice. Regular sessions with children and adults with autism and all additional needs in a variety of multi sensory and classroom settings enable him to maintain this excellent practice.
Carol Allen is an education advisor for ICT and Inclusion, currently offering specialised support to Local Authorities, schools, parents and carers and a wide range of educators worldwide. She has taught since 1980 in both mainstream schools – primary and high, and schools for students with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties. As an English specialist, she recognises that communication lies at the heart of all effective teaching. Accordingly, most of her work has centred on technology’s creative and engaging use to support communication in its broadest sense.
All the resources from this event will be in your account at online.hirstwood.com. You will access these using the email address on the booking form and your password (instructions in the joining information for creating your password.)
Here you will find:
a digital recording of the event
resources shared or signposted during the session
a transcript of the Zoom chat
your certificate of attendance
These will be available for 10 days after the event.
Join our Facebook Group Sensory Support Spaghetti to connect with us and other like minded practitioners – for everything sensory!
Each place costs £95 plus VAT.
You can pay by credit card for this booking or request an invoice on the booking form.
NEW FOR 2024!
