Using Oral Language to Check for understanding Olivia Morris and Kaylee Harlamert

What is oral language? The act of speaking and listening to communicate information

Types of Language Registers (Payne) Fixed/ Frozen: reserved for traditions (Pledges) Formal: public speaking at work or school (Presentations) Consultative: conversation with peers Casual: conversation with peers Intimate: close friends and family Fixed: Pledge of Allegiance Formal: Presentations

Oral Language Development Occurs naturally and with little effort Speaking proficiently takes work and attention Foundation of print literacy

Grade goals for speaking and listening Can repeat small phrases and easily talk about familiar things Can respond appropriately to conversation 3-5 Can present ideas clearly and play to the audience’s interests Various types of formal presentations

Perceived skill level Teachers with high achieving students talk 55% of time Teachers with low achieving students talk 80% of the time “The amount the teacher versus student talks varies by the demographic of the students.” Boys are also more likely to be called on than girls

Discussion Questions: Why do you think that teachers of lower achieving classrooms talk more than teachers with higher- achieving classrooms? What are some factors that may play into this? Why would the amount of time girls talk in the classroom decline as they age? Why do teachers tend to call on them less? Why is oral language the foundation of print literacy? “Remember that the lower achieving classrooms consist of more students below the poverty line, English Language Learners (ELL’s), students with disabilities, and other at-risk students.”

Oral Language Strategies: Accountable Talk How to help students engage in meaningful partner conversation: Clarify and explain Ask to justify information Challenge misconceptions Demand Evidence Interpret and use partner’s statements ** Pay attention to conversations to help aid your lessons**

Strategy: Notice Nonverbal Cues Significant amount of social cues come from expressions Looks of confusion can be a quick cue that they aren’t fully understanding This can help guide teacher to modify instruction during the lesson. How would you adjust your lesson if you saw cues of confusion?

1. Strongly Disagree 5. Strongly Agree Value Lineups Help students analyze beliefs of concepts and then hear other’s beliefs about the concept First, they decide if they agree or disagree with statement Second, they listen to others talk about the topic Third, they discuss and compare their beliefs with others 1. Strongly Disagree 5. Strongly Agree

Retellings They retell and condense large sections of text in their own words This checks for understanding Procedures: Explain purpose of a retelling is to re-create the text in your own words. Ask students to discuss the ways in which they talk with friends

Retelling procedures Model a retelling from a short piece of familiar text for students. Have students to discuss the similarities and differences between the original and the retelling. Read aloud new text and create a retelling as a class. Then have students to discuss the similarities and differences between the original and the retelling for new text.

Think-Pair-Share Allows students to discuss with peers before sharing ideas in front of the whole-class Steps: Think: After teacher presents something to engage student’s thinking, they take a few minutes to think about it on their own. Pair: The students discuss ideas with a partner and compare ideas. Share: The pairs share their ideas with the whole class. Lessens students’ nervousness about presenting in front of the class because they get “practice” with their partner Gives students a chance to bounce ideas off of each other and come up with even more ideas Increases class comrodery With high school students – they share their partner’s idea instead of their own!

Misconception Analysis Misconceptions: preconceived notions, nonscientific beliefs, mixed conceptions, or conceptual misunderstandings “provides students an opportunity to discuss, often in small groups, misunderstandings that they have.” Teacher presents new information or allows students to discuss their own understanding of concept within a group

Whip Around Helps teacher assess understanding of the whole class, not individuals Steps: The teacher poses a question or a task Students make a list of items/ideas on a scrap piece of paper Students all stand and teacher calls on each student to share idea off of paper Other students check off items that are said by another student and sit down when all of their ideas have been shared When all ideas have been shared, all the students will be sitting

Conclusion Oral Language is a great way to check for understanding because it involves speaking and listening Communicating ideas and knowledge leads to better overall understanding and is an efficient way to test what your students know