Frequently Asked Questions
What is i-learn: speaking and listening?
A series of three DVDs offering:
- Planned and purposeful opportunities for talk
- Explicit teaching of the four strands of speaking and listening
- Good models for talk
- Opportunities to rehearse and apply skills in literacy and across the curriculum
- Opportunities to talk about talk and reflect upon its usage
- Planned assessment opportunities
As with i-learn: writing, there are 3 DVDs, each covering two year groups.
Why is speaking and listening important?
It’s all to do with the new primary framework. Last year’s renewed framework brought speaking and listening back into the fold, and emphasised how important it is by making the first four ‘strands’ of literacy relate to these skills:
- speaking
- listening and responding
- group discussion and interaction
- drama
Ofsted will now be looking at speaking and listening in schools.
How will i-learn: speaking and listening support the new Framework?
i-learn: speaking and listening has been designed to support the explicit and systematic teaching of the first four strands of the new framework.
Schools need to teach, develop and rehearse these skills across the whole curriculum, in subjects other than English. i-learn: speaking and listening has been specifically designed to be highly flexible and open-ended to allow for easy integration into all areas of the curriculum.
How will i-learn: speaking and listening be used?
There are a number of possibilities:
- As a booster if children need support and reinforcement of particular skills.
- As part of a whole-school speaking and listening solution (as with Penpals, INSET materials are provided in the Teacher’s Books)
- Integrated into existing planning units – either in literacy or in other curriculum areas.
What speaking and listening techniques are covered?
The DVD-ROMs cover many speaking and listening techniques including:
- Jigsawing
- Rainbowing
- Envoys
- Freeze-frames
Each technique is introduced by a video showing a real class of children using the technique. The DVD-ROMs give a context in which a class can attempt the techniques, and the teacher’s notes explain how to lead the class.
How will i-learn: speaking and listening fit in with i-read and i-learn: writing?
In terms of teaching time, schools are adopting a flexible, mix and match approach to ICT. i-read is already being used in this way, and the new i-learn products have been designed specifically with this in mind.
Who is the series editor?
Louise Glasspoole, who is an experienced teacher and literacy consultant, offers literacy training to schools nationally. She has previously worked on the i-read series, and the new i-learn: writing series.
What is the teaching sequence?
Each unit is split into six focuses.
| Focus | Overview |
|---|---|
| Setting the scene | This focus provides the overall context for the unit, by means of fun introductory activities |
| Learning from models | This focus will typically exploit the ICT medium (audio, video, animation), or provide an engaging, interactive activity, with the aim of modelling effective speaking and listening behaviours. |
| Let’s practise | Both of these focuses provide opportunities to practise the text type, incorporating all four Strands, but with a heavy emphasis on group discussion and interaction. |
| Let’s practise some more | |
| How did they do? | This focus provides an opportunity to watch other children speaking and listening. By using their learning from the unit to date, and referring to a set of Top Tips, children will be able to analyse the examples and suggest appropriate improvements. |
| Over to you! | With a heavy emphasis on audience and purpose, this focus provides a fun and engaging ‘end-of-unit’ task. |
However, the teaching sequence is designed to be flexible. Teachers can ‘dip in’ to different areas as they wish – for example, just using the models for talk.
Does it link in to writing?
Suggestions for written work are in the teacher’s notes. However, the main outcomes of this product are spoken or dramatic.
What about differentiation?
The teacher’s notes for each unit provide ideas for differentiation.
How can it help with assessment?
Assessing speaking and listening was one of the themes which emerged in our market research.
Each unit provides an opportunity for assessing a particular aspect of speaking and listening. The Teacher’s Books supply assessment grids which can be used to monitor an individual child’s progress.
Are there accompanying books to the DVD-ROMs?
Yes. A Teacher’s Book accompanies each DVD, containing:
- Matching to the new framework for literacy
- Lesson planning
- Differentiation
- Suggested follow-on activities
- INSET materials
- Assessment grids
Why DVD?
DVDs let us fit more video onto our discs. Schools will have no problem installing DVDs on their networks.