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Speaking and Listening at Reception and Key Stage 1| 3 Structuring Tasks Within A Curricular Context
3.1 The potential of group talk
To help to convince students of the power of group talk in children’s learning, it is useful to have them view a video clip or examine a transcript of children talking. The transcript included below from Grugeon et al (2005) can be used for this, or, indeed, any other extract where children are grappling with meaning in a purposeful task. Students should be issued with the transcript and asked in pairs to consider how children are helping one another to make meaning. Students should also be provided with the accompanying table as a starting point to help them analyse the children’s talk.
Transcript: Three children in a lower school, 7 and 6 years old, discuss
snails in a snailery, without their teacher present
| Susan: |
Yes, look at this one, it's come ever so far. This one's stopped for a little rest ... |
| Jason: |
It's going again! |
| Susan: |
Mmmm good! |
| Emma: |
This one's smoothing ... slowly |
| Jason: |
Look, they've bumped into each other (laughter) |
| Emma: |
It's sort of like got four antlers |
| Susan: |
Where? |
| Emma: |
Look! I can see their eyes |
| Susan: |
Well, they're not exactly eyes ... they're a second load of feelers really aren't they? No . . . and they grow bigger you know ... and at first you couldn't hardly see the feelers and then they start to grow bigger, look |
| Emma: |
Look ... look at this one he's really come ... out ... now |
| Jason: |
It's got water on it when they move |
| Susan: |
Yes, they make a trail, no let him move and we see the trail afterwards ... |
| Emma: |
I think it's oil from the skin |
| Jason: |
Mmm ... it's probably moisture ... See, he's making a little trail where he's been ... they ... walk very ... slowly |
| Susan: |
Yes, Jason, this one's doing the same, that's why they say slow as a snail |
| Emma: |
Ooh look, see if it can move the pot ... |
| Jason: |
Doesn't seem to |
| Susan: |
Doesn't like it in the p… when it moves in the pot ... look, get him out! |
| Jason: |
Don't you dare pull its shell off |
| Emma: |
You'll pull its thing off shell off … ooh it's horrible! |
| Jason: |
Oh look ... all this water! |
Analysing the children’s talk
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Collaborative meaning-making
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Examples from extract
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Questioning
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Disagreeing
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Extending
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Qualifying
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Changing views
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Revisiting ideas
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