Oracy

What is Oracy?

Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language.

Our Vision
We want our children to be effective, reflective communicators who are able to find their voice and use it to be agents of change. Spoken communication (oracy) skills are taught throughout our curriculum and our classrooms are  talk-rich environments.  Our school maximises opportunities for oracy for all children; children use their voices in meaningful contexts in and beyond the classroom. Across our trust and individual school community, oracy is nurtured by everyday interactions and is visible, showcased and celebrated throughout school life. 

Linking with our school values of Creativity, Courage and Respect, the Oracy culture we are seeking to build is that children: “are courageous communicators who value every voice and respectfully welcome different opinions. We naturally recognise our audiences and creatively adapt our voices to communicate harmoniously”.  We believe that Oracy and Reading skills  are the two most powerful enablers to accessing the wider curriculum and as such are a priority for us.

Our Oracy Curriculum

Recently we have worked with an organisation called Voice 21 to train Oracy Champions within our School who have then developed our Oracy curriculum in partnership with Champtions in other Trust primary Schools, forming a group called the Oracy Curriculum Collaboration Group.  We continue to be supported by a team within Voice 21.  We have built our curriculum to ensure that children are taught skills from the Oracy Framwork and use them daily at school in all subjects.  In addition, we ensure that children experience different Oracy "outcomes" such as sharing their work with another year group, or presenting work to families at class assemblies, performing poetry or making speaches. Please continue to follow updates in our newsletter and Instagram to find out more about this. 

Voice 21 is the national charity that supports schools to build speaking and listening into the curriculum, teaching and learning and wider school life

Voice 21 uses the Oracy Framework to exemplify talk outcomes, which is divided into four strands: linguistic, physical, cognitive, and social & emotional. 

Linguistic Strand: This strand focuses on how language is used, including vocabulary, grammar, and register. Examples of language models could include: 

• Formal language:
  Demonstrating proper grammar, vocabulary, and tone suitable for formal settings like presentations or debates.
• Informal language:
  Illustrating conversational language, slang, and colloquialisms appropriate for informal settings like group discussions.
• Rhetorical devices:
  Showcasing techniques like metaphor, irony, and humor to engage the audience.
• Sentence structures:
  Varying sentence length and complexity to create different effects.

Physical Strand: This strand focuses on the physical aspects of speaking, such as voice projection, eye contact, and gesture. Examples of language models could include: 

• Varying tone and pace: Demonstrating how to use voice to create emphasis, excitement, or calmness.
• Clear pronunciation: Emphasizing the importance of articulating words clearly.
• Eye contact and gesture: Showcasing how to use body language to connect with the audience.

Cognitive Strand: This strand focuses on the mental processes involved in speaking, such as organizing thoughts, building on ideas, and reasoning. Examples of language models could include: 

• Organized structure: Presenting information in a logical order with clear introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.
• Building on ideas: Demonstrating how to respond to previous speakers and build upon their points.
• Reasoning and argumentation: Showcasing how to provide evidence and support for claims.
• Summarizing and clarifying: Illustrating how to concisely convey main points and seek clarification.

Social & Emotional Strand: This strand focuses on the social and emotional aspects of speaking, such as listening actively, taking turns, and developing confidence. Examples of language models could include: 

• Active listening: Demonstrating how to pay attention to what others are saying and respond appropriately.
• Turn-taking: Showing how to take turns in a discussion and allow others to speak.
• Confidence in speaking: Illustrating how to speak with conviction and engage the audience.
• Audience awareness: Demonstrating how to adapt language and delivery to suit different audiences.

If you would like to learn more about the framwork or the work of Voice 21 please click here