Oracy at Home

Oracy at home

Ways to promote oracy at home

Try these techniques to help your child become a more confident communicator, in school and at home.

1. Read aloud to your child

Reading aloud to your child, well beyond the age they can read for themselves will really benefit your child as it will build vocabulary, teach them to express their thoughts, and help them to understand the structure of language.

2. Record a video diary

Encourage children to start a video diary, either to chart their everyday life or to record special occasions like birthdays and holidays. For safety’s sake, keep these within the family rather than broadcasting them online.

3. Play word games

Games like 20 Questions, Yes or No,  Guess Who?, Would You Rather and I Spy are great for helping children use descriptive language and think critically about what they’re saying.

4. Talk about their day and yours!

Ask your child, ‘What did you do today?’ and they’ll often claim they can’t remember, so find different ways to talk about what they’ve been up to. Eating your evening meal as a family is a good way to encourage conversation, while older kids are often more chatty in the car, where they feel less like they’re being interrogated. 

5. Phone a friend (or relative)

Persuade your child to take a break from text and WhatsApp and develop their speaking skills by making an actual phone call. Encouraging them to speak to different family members on the phone or on a video call will build confidence.

6. Talking Points

Discuss the Picture News (shared in our school newsletter) or watch CBeebies Newsround.

7. Go on a nature walk

This is a great pre-phonics activity for young children, who can be encouraged to listen carefully to the sounds they hear – from traffic to birdsong – and describe them. They can also describe the natural sights they see, such as trees, animals and birds and the sky.

8. Sign them up for a club

Joining extracurricular clubs is a good opportunity for your child to converse with different people outside the home or school environment. Many of them also involve taking instructions (such as being coached in sporting techniques or to complete science or art projects), and introduce them to different vocabulary relating to their new hobby.