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Literacy Professional Learning Resource – Teaching Strategies

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Literacy teaching strategies: VELS 1 & 2 | VELS 3 | VELS 4 | VELS 5 & 6

VELS level 5 & 6 – Speaking and listening strategies for all VELS domains

Following are some speaking and listening strategies that can be adapted to a single VELS domain or for programs that have multiple domains to support students in meeting the literacy demands of their learning in:

  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Health and Physical Education, Interpersonal Development, Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship.
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Arts, Economics, Geography, History, Mathematics, Science
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, Design, Creativity and Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Thinking.

The examples provide a structure for supporting students to focus on the literacy demands to learn and to communicate in all domains of the VELS.

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Strategies for listening to learn

When students are required to listen to spoken texts to support their learning, they need to establish procedures for analysing and evaluating spoken texts. They need to:

  • use critical analysis and comparison strategies to analyse responses from a range of perspectives
  • use different tools such as graphic organisers for note taking to summarise key points, note main issues in a topic and have some evidence to support their opinion
  • use a range of active listening strategies including asking clarifying questions, building on the ideas of others to identify, integrate, synthesise and evaluate key ideas
  • think creatively and analytically about oral presentations, infer how different perspectives influence speaking and listening
  • identify and record strategies used to interest and engage audiences such as effective use of multimedia, humour, emotion, anecdotes
  • evaluate presentations using criteria such as accuracy, relevance, organisation and presentation of information
  • read communication situations in terms of the conventions used to communicate in various social and cultural interactions
  • compare ideas, provide opinions and develop conclusions on spoken texts, themes and complex issues.

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Strategies for communicating learning

When students are required to speak to others about their learning, they need to:

  • identify the features of various types and use them to enhance their presentations well organised and effective spoken texts
  • use organisational criteria such as evidence, valid sources to support an opinion, timing, behaviour when planning to speak
  • prepare and present spoken texts such as role play, narrative, prepared talk, debate or submission to inform or persuade an audience
  • express creative and analytical responses to texts, themes and issues
  • identify and selectively and strategically use a range of persuasive techniques such as figurative language, imagery, imaginative ordering of ideas, specific language, body language, facial expressions
  • identify the needs of different audiences and use a variety of styles to present to them
  • present one set of ideas in a variety of oral forms such as verse form, informational talk, short play
  • inform and enhance a message by using multimedia resources and information from a range of sources
  • combine spoken and visual text as well as a variety of verbal and non-verbal techniques for the presentation of complex issues or information to interest an audience
  • respond to questions and feedback about their own presentation such as defend ideas, expand on a topic and use logical arguments.

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Examples of speaking and listening strategies

The following example has been adapted from the English Continuum, Speaking and Listening. It can be used in any context to support students to prepare themselves for the literacy demands of their learning.

Speaking and listening plan

Students explain how they will listen to and analyse spoken texts and the actions they will use to talk about their new ideas.

Getting ready for listening

What will I do to help me keep track of what I hear while I am listening?

  • Visualise what I hear
  • Note down key words I hear
  • Draw an ideas network while listening
  • Repeat to myself what I hear that I don't want to forget
  • Guess how the story/information might unfold
  • Ask questions to clarify what I hear
  • Every so often summarise what I have heard.

Getting ready to communicate

What can I do to help me to talk about what I have learnt?

  • Visualise what I want to say
  • Think of the key words I will use to be persuasive and/or convincing
  • Make sure that what I say follows logically from what other people say
  • Think of how I will link the ideas.

The English Developmental Continuum has a more detailed outline of indicators of progress that can be used to further expand opportunities for more structured speaking and listening, to be incorporated into any learning and teaching program for one or more domains.

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Professional learning

Which of these speaking and listening strategies have you explicitly taught to your students? Which strategies could you teach or re-visit with your students?

Ask a colleague to observe your class as you engage in a speaking and listening activity. How effectively were your students making use of speaking and listening strategies?