The Importance of Oracy and Language Development

At St Mary's, we believe that strong speaking and listening skills are the foundation of learning. Oracy – the ability to express ideas clearly, listen actively, and engage confidently in discussion – plays a vital role in children’s academic success, social development, and wellbeing.

Language is how children make sense of the world. Through talk, they learn to organise their thinking, build vocabulary, ask questions, and develop understanding across all areas of the curriculum. Confident speakers are more able to explain their ideas in writing, participate in lessons, and build positive relationships with others.

Developing oracy from an early age also helps children to:

• Build confidence and self-esteem

• Improve reading and writing skills

• Develop critical thinking and reasoning

• Learn how to listen respectfully and respond thoughtfully

• Express emotions and solve problems effectively

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In school, we actively promote language development through discussion, storytelling, role play, presentations, partner talk, and carefully structured opportunities for children to speak and listen in every subject. We also hold a weekly debate, where children can express their views on different topics/ real world issues and build the skills to be confident public speakers, who can respectfully support and/or challenge other people's views. 

How Parents Can Support Oracy at Home

Parents play a crucial role in supporting children’s language development. Small, everyday interactions can make a big difference. Here are some simple and effective ways to help at home:

• Talk often: Share conversations about your day, ask open-ended questions, and encourage your child to explain their thoughts and opinions.

• Listen carefully: Give your child time to speak without interrupting. Show interest in what they say and respond thoughtfully.

• Read together: Regularly reading aloud and discussing stories helps build vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence with language.

• Introduce new words: Use a wide range of vocabulary in everyday situations and explain the meaning of unfamiliar words.

• Encourage storytelling: Ask your child to retell events, make up stories, or describe things they have experienced.

• Model good communication: Show turn-taking, polite listening, and respectful discussion in your own conversations.

• Limit screen time: Create opportunities for face-to-face talk, play, and shared activities that encourage conversation. Dont' forget, we are a phone free zone! This is a deliberate decision to encourage that all important 'last interaction in the morning' and the 'sharing what has happened during the day' in an engaging way where children can speak out loud to an adult that is actively listening. 

By working together, home and school can support children in becoming confident communicators who are ready to learn, connect, and succeed.

We have included our school policy and some useful resources and links to build your confidence and understanding of this vital skill. 

📚 General Oracy & Language Support

🗣️ Talk, Listen, Play (I CAN & BBC)

• Offers fun, everyday activities and tips to build early language skills through play and conversation.

• Focuses on developing vocabulary and confidence in talking.
  ➡️ https://https://speechandlanguage.org.uk

🎒 National Literacy Trust – Talking Tips

• Practical guidance on encouraging talk, listening and vocabulary at different ages.

• Activities for everyday routines and special conversations.
  ➡️ https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/talking/

📖 BBC Bitesize – Speaking and Listening

• Easy-to-use guides and examples that help children practise talking and listening skills.

• Includes activities linked to primary curriculum content.
  ➡️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zv48q6f

📖 Reading & Vocabulary Builders

🔤 Oxford Owl – Reading at Home

• Free guides to help parents support reading and language through books.

• Includes age-appropriate reading tips and discussion prompts.
  ➡️ https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading-skills-age-by-age

📘 Story Activities from The Literacy Trust

• Ideas to help talk about stories, characters and plots to build comprehension and vocabulary.
  ➡️ https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/stories-and-activities/

📚 The Reading Realm

• Curated book lists with ideas for talking about books and boosting language skills.
  ➡️ https://thereadingrealm.co.uk/

🎲 Games, Play & Communication Activities

🧠 Language Play from I CAN

• Playful activities aimed at growing talking, listening and confidence in communication.
  ➡️ https://ican.org.uk/i-cans-language-play/

🗨️ Conversation Starters from Parenting Websites

• Lists of fun questions to spark interesting discussions at dinner, in the car, or before bed.
  ➡️ Search “conversation starter questions for kids” for printable lists

👪 Support for Talking & Listening at Home

💬 Everyday Talk (Speech and Language UK)

• Tips on encouraging talking during routines like shopping, cooking and chores.
  ➡️ https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/parent-support/

🎤 Voice21 Oracy Resources

• A UK oracy charity with parent guidance, question-banks, and conversation ideas for home.
  ➡️ https://voice21.org/resources/

💡 Apps & Interactive Tools (Age-Appropriate)

🧩 Word Games & Vocabulary Apps (parent-selected and supervised):

• Word building / synonyms & antonyms games – fun ways to explore language

• Story-making prompts – create and talk about stories together
  (Tip: Ensure content is suitable for your child’s age and interests.)

🎓 School Resources You Can Ask For

You can also ask your child’s teacher for:

• Recommended book lists by age

• Oracy discussion prompts

• Games or activities used in class to practise language

Support for starting exciting conversations!

Here are some themed conversation cards, ready to print and use. Each one focuses on a different aspect of oracy and works well in specific everyday moments. You can use them individually or mix and match. By using these to guide your interactions, you will be supporting your children's oracy and language development, which will support their learning and help them to become more confident and express themselves better. 

Research has shown that by developing communication in a healthy way, any behaviour concerns are diminished because children can explain how they are feeling and what they require to meet their needs.