Learning through Talk: Developing Learning Dialogues in the Primary Classroom

Learning through Talk is a practical handbook. It is designed to help teachers and others working with five to eleven year olds develop the key skills which will enable their pupils to use talk effectively for learning. The activities within the book encourage thinking and learning across the curriculum and help pupils to improve their communication skills and become independent learners.

This book provides:

• Advice and practical guidance on developing the essential skills of participation, collaboration, positive challenge, resolving differences and reflection
• A series of motivating and exciting workshop activities
• Photocopiable resources to support workshops with links to video material on the companion website

A practical, blended resource, Learning through Talk helps teachers shift their focus to evaluate the quality of pupils’ talk as an insight into the learning process. The authors present tried and tested methods for reflection, including the use of a video diary room, an example of which is accessible online via the Companion Website.

An invaluable guide for both trainee and practising teachers, this book will provide those working with children with a practical framework to improve talk and communication in their classrooms in line with current curriculum developments.

Heather Luxford is an Advanced Skills Teacher for Creativity and Thinking Skills, Teaching and Learning and Gifted and Talented Pupils, and a Key Stage 2 classroom teacher at two rural schools in West Sussex.

Lizzie Smart is a Teacher Trainer, based at the University of Chichester where she teaches English to student teachers in training and to practising professionals on the Masters courses. She also inspects initial teacher training for Ofsted.