Developing oral language skills (speaking and listening) provide the foundation for word reading, comprehension, and writing. It is known that “children who have strong oral-language skills often have strong reading and writing skills.  In contrast, children with oral-language problems are at higher risk of reading and writing difficulties” (Scarborough, 2001).  For example,  if children write in short, choppy sentences, they usually speak in a similar way as oral language is at the core of their vocabulary and their speaking fluency.Oral language is also at the core of students’ phonemic awareness, their phonics skills and their reading fluency, which impacts their reading ability.  By supporting oral language skills, this provides a stronger foundation for literacy skills.

Oral language skills supports communication and critical thinking skill.  In British Columbia’s redesigned curriculum, oral language is considered key to exchanging ideas and perspectives with the idea that “through listening and speaking, we connect with others and share our world.”  For students who are unable to access text, they can still engage intellectually with ideas through rich thinking and oral communication, which transfers to greater comprehension and critical thinking.

Oral Language Sample Activities:

• Developmental Story Structure with Indigenous-themed Story Prompts (locally developed prompts by Peggy Janicki)

Sample Prompts:

• POPEY: Oral Language Resources (Activities and Lessons)
• Read, Write, Think: Lesson on Using Partner Talk
• Story Workshop (using loose parts to foster oral storytelling)
• Facilitate conversation using the T.A.L.K. strategy
• Oral storytelling (story in First Peoples cultures, debates/speeches, public speaking, poetry recital)

Oral Language Resources:

• TumbleBook Library (SD75 District subscription)
• Sq’éwlets Digital Website
  • Th’owxeya, told by Gwen Point
  • Lhilheqey, by Stó:lō Nation
  • The Story of Mimuxw, told by Gwen Point
• Indigenous Storybooks
• Talk Teaching Aid from Cox Campus
• Meaningful Conversations Course
• Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers (book)
• Poetry in Voice
• Mattawa Education and Care Centre: Teaching Strategy
  • “Listen and Learn from Oral Traditions” – “Lesson Question: How can I listen and learn from oral traditions?” (Website)
• “Strive For-Five Conversations: A Framework that Gets Kids Talking to Accelerate Their Language Comprehension and Literacy” (Book)

Go to:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Morphology
• Comprehension
• Writing