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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 3 – Further speaking and listening strategies

Further strategies that can be used to develop student speaking and listening skills during reading and writing activities.

Back to: VELS level 3 – Speaking and listening strategies.

 

Think-pair-share

Think-Pair-Share is a strategy designed to provide students with a clear focus and time to formulate individual ideas and share these ideas with another student.  

Think-Pair-Share encourages students to:

    - improve the quality of their responses as they are provided with think time and an audience
    - stay on task as they have to present their response and listen to their peer
    - develop co-operative learning skills
    - discuss a variety of text types presented.

Steps:

  1. Students work in groups of four.
  2. Announce a discussion topic or problem to solve.
  3. Options could include discussions about:

    - newspaper article
    - class text
    - poetry
    - song
    - artwork
    - current affairs issue
    - mathematical problem

  4. Give students at least 10 seconds of think time to THINK of their own answer.
  5. Ask students to PAIR with their partner to discuss their responses to the topic.
  6. Ask a selection of students to SHARE their ideas with the class.

Options:

Think-Ink-Pair-Share – ask the students to record their ideas following their think time.

Think-Pair-Square – After sharing with a partner, two pairs of students form a group of four to share.

 

Consensus 1-3-6

Consensus 1-3-6 is a strategy designed to support students to construct group understandings.

Consensus 1-3-6 encourages students to:

    - improve the quality of their responses as they are provided with think time and they can build upon their own ideas
    - stay on task as they have to present their ideas and listen to their peer
    - develop co-operative learning skills.

Steps:

  1. The teacher poses a question, problem or statement. This could be in response to a text including:

    - newspaper article
    - class text
    - novel
    - poetry
    - song
    - interview
    - documentary
    - current affairs issue

  2. As individuals, students compile a list of ideas and understandings.
  3. The students then form groups of three and combine their lists into an agreed set.
  4. Two groups form a group of six and combine the two lists into a final list.
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Debating

Debating is a teaching strategy that provides a framework for students to explore and develop a range of views over an issue.

Debating encourages students to:

    - improve the quality of their responses as they are provided with think time and they can build upon their own ideas
    - stay on task as they have to present their ideas and listen to their peer
    - present their views to an authentic audience
    - develop co-operative learning skills
    - develop research skills
    - formulate an argument.
    - explore a variety of views.

Steps:

One option is:

  1. In response to a text, brainstorm statements with a strong and clear point of view. For example:
    • Smoking should be banned in cars across Australia.
    • Zoos should not exist.
    • Plastic shopping bags should be banned.
  2. Divide the class into teams of 6; 3 for the motion, 3 against.
  3. Allow sufficient preparation time.
  4. Set the room up appropriately.
  5. The debate is introduced in a formal way by the chairperson.
    • affirmative 1 speaks first
    • negative 1 second
    • affirmative 2 third
    • and so on until the final speaker, negative 3.
  6. To start it is best if the students debate their own point of view.
  7. Each speaker talks for an agreed time.
  8. Judging is equally divided between the content, the presentation and team work.

Adapted from: Department of Education, Tasmania, Teaching Ideas and Units - Teaching Strategies – Debating (http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/debating.htm)

Further information: Your own debate (http://www.actdu.org.au/archives/actein_site/owndebate.html)

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Choral speaking

Choral speaking is a teaching strategy that involves groups of students presenting oral presentations of texts.

Choral speaking encourages students to:

    - develop their speaking and listening skills
    - develop an understanding of the construction of texts
    - perform texts to an authentic audience
    - develop co-operative learning skills.

 Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text that matches the students’ needs and interests. Begin with a poem.
  2. Model reading the text using expression.
  3. Reread the text using the teaching approach of shared reading.
  4. Discuss the meaning of the text and presenting the text by:

    - emphasising particular lines, phrases or words
    - using a range of voices, eg. one or two voices
    - assigning different sections to different speakers
    - varying pace, voices or volume
    - including possible gestures or actions.

  5. Have the whole class participate in reading.

Option:

  • Provide a range of texts for small groups to present to an audience.

Adapted from: Department of Education, Tasmania, Teaching Ideas and Units - Teaching Strategies – Choral Speaking (http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/choral.htm)

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Listen to a song and present the main ideas

The song provides another text type for the students to explore as an individual or small group.

This teaching strategy encourages students to:

    - develop their speaking and listening skills
    - develop an understanding of the construction of texts, specifically songs
    - present their understandings in a variety of ways.

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a song that matches the students’ needs and interests. The song needs to have main ideas presented in a clear format. A suggestion is to begin with a familiar song such as the National Anthem or a classroom song.
  2. Provide opportunities for the students to listen to and become familiar with the song.
  3. Model a variety of ways the students could present the main ideas of the song. These includes:

    - sketches
    - word splash
    - mind map
    - magazine pictures
    - pyramid of messages.

  4. The students listen to the song and record their main ideas.
  5. The students work with a partner to compare the main ideas and discuss their similarities and differences.

Option:

  • The students can use their main ideas from the song to write a review of the song or develop promotion materials for the song.
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Narrate a story

Narrate a story is a teaching strategy that involves groups of students giving oral presentations of texts individually or in a small group.

Narrate a story encourages students to:

    - develop their speaking and listening skills
    - develop an understanding of the construction of texts
    - improve skills to read aloud
    - present texts to an authentic audience
    - develop co-operative learning skills.

 Steps:

  1. The teacher in collaboration with the students selects a text that matches the students’ needs and interests. A suggestion is to begin with a familiar text.
  2. Explore the skills and technique to narrate a text.
  3. The narrator would consider:

    - emphasising particular lines, phrases or words
    - using a range of voices, eg. one or two voices
    - varying pace, voices or volume.

  4. Model reading the text as the narrator using expression.
  5. The student practises and narrates the text to an audience. The narration is recorded on audio tape or is filmed.

Options:

  • Provide a range of texts for small groups to narrate to an audience. Members of the group take on different roles including the narrator and characters.
  • Create a soundscape or prop to support the narration.
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