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The
way into thinking skills!
This book outlines the importance of talk both at home
and the classroom. It emphasis that talking is more
than just communicating, it is the way into thinking
skills development.
"How do I know what I think until I've heard
myself say it?"
Some children are never given the opportunity to develop
their talking skills in order to structure their thinking.
This book addresses this issue head on, with carefully
analysed research and a whole host of practical classroom
activities to help children into quality talking and
deeper thinking.
Class Talk is based on extensive research under the
auspices of the Communication Opportunity Group Scheme
(COGS) based at the University of Leicester. More over
this research has been authenticated by many hours of
classroom application leading to long term benefits
for the pupils concerned.
An outstanding and ground breaking book.
Back cover
Get talking, for successful learning.
A child of three speaks around 40 000
words a day, but once in class 'teacher talk' so often
takes over. For many, school puts a brake on talk, but
word exchanges are essential to learning. Talking is
the way we try out, select and sort ideas before stringing
them together into coherent, whole notions.
Talking is the quickest, easiest, cheapest
and most efficient way of transmitting information.
But much more than words is involved. Successful talk
brings together multiple messages from a range of sources
– you need to know not only what is said where
and when, but why it is said and how it is conveyed
– context is all-important for understanding.
On average, teachers talk for two-thirds
of class time in a monologue style quite different to
that which most children experience at home. This book
helps teachers to understand their students' difficulties
in stepping out of 'home talk' into 'class talk', and
the responsibilities they have to facilitate communication
for learning. It explains the range of issues involved
in the process of communication, and makes practical
suggestions to facilitate successful talk between teachers
and children, to improve learning and raise standards.
It is time to talk about these important notions!
Class talk:
- looks at teacherstudent communication
and reflects on what is happening in the classroom
- looks at how students talk in different
classroom situations and evaluates this information
in terms of planning children's learning
- considers the problems of transmitting
meaning to others
- discusses and reflects on practical
strategies to improve the quality of talking, teaching
and learning
- looks at how a teacher's most important
tool – the voice – is used, along with facial
expression and gesture, to make the greatest impact
on students
- looks at how communication and learning
happen as a result of the way our brain develops,
and discusses education systems in relation to this
process
- considers the development of talk
within a society that has moved away from mechanical
and manufacturing industry towards jobs in service
industries, which entail, on average, 80% speaking
and listening and only 20% reading and writing.
Rosemary Sage is a qualified speech
and language therapist, psychologist and teacher who
has worked in many educational and health service contexts.
Her main interest is thinking, language and communication
– Class talk is a result of many years of
practical experience trying to help students to be successful.
Rosemary is well known for her work with the Communication
Opportunity Group Scheme, which is used in schools to
underpin literacy and numeracy work, and at the tertiary
and training levels to support personal and professional
development.
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