Teach Oracy Through News
News is one of the greatest igniters of debate among children and adults alike. Being able to express one’s voice and listen to those of others is an essential skill at every stage of our lives.
Schools across the UK have built a culture of communication by using First News Education as a basis for teaching oracy through classroom discussion, using stories in the newspaper and debate topics delivered through the iHub and Activity Sheets to develop essential speech and communication skills. When pupils have access to reliable facts and context, they are given a platform to understand an issue in-depth, build their points of view and appreciate different perspectives from fellow pupils.
“The debating and poll elements of the newspaper are fantastic and support our whole-school focus on developing oracy superbly. And what we see is our young people at their best, discussing current issues that matter to them in thoughtful, articulate ways.”
Richard Long, English Lead Practitioner, St Michael’s Catholic School, Buckinghamshire
Regular news-based discussions encourage students to:
ENHANCE PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE SKILLS
BUILD IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING
VOICE OPINIONS ARTICULATELY
DEVELOP REASONING TO SUPPORT VIEWS
GROW CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING
LISTEN TO AND RESPECT OTHERS
“I have found that not only has the children’s vocabulary improved, but they have been able to see the benefits of looking at something from another point of view. They have also become much more articulate and confident at speaking in public and have loved having the opportunity to make new friends and find out more about current issues that affect them.”
Kathryn Hardaker, Year 6 Teacher, R L Hughes Primary School, Wigan
