Time to Talk –
Information for Parents!
If children
can say it
….
children can
write it!
We would like to encourage you all to join us in our ‘Talk for Writing’ initiative
which we are introducing across the whole school.
Every week we will have a whole school ‘talk topic’ which we will encourage you
to discuss with your children so that they can form an opinion and understand
how to carry out a conversation by speaking in full sentences. You might think
that your child doesn’t need encouraging to talk but all children need to learn
how to talk in high level language, speak in sentences and wait for their turn
when speaking.
Talk Homework!
 Each week there will be a new talk topic. This will be shown on the school
website, sent out on Twitter and on InTouch as well as us telling all the
children.
 The topics will NOT relate to school work and curriculum. They will
hopefully be something the children will already have an opinion on. Even
if they are not interested they need to be able to say why.
 There is NO expectation that this will lead to a prepared talk in school or
any additional homework, we just want them to be able to talk about the
current topic.
 All members of the school community will be involved. This will include
teaching assistants, midday supervisory assistants, office and caretaking
staff.
 It will give us all a common theme throughout the week when we see
children around the school.
 It is not expected that conversations will take place in class although they
may provide a focus for ‘Show and Tell’ with our younger pupils.
 Please make time to discuss the topic with your child. Try to include as
many members of the family as possible as they might have a different
opinion. That way children learn how to form an alternative argument.
 Mealtime is an ideal time to talk to your children. Could you turn the
television off and put mobile devices away??
 Encourage the children to use Wow words – big or interesting words and
long, clever sentences.
 This high level talking will help the children when they are writing. Talk is
our language on paper. The better they can talk, the better they can write
and all of us write to get the things we want or need: jobs, shopping, help
or advice, friendship etc.
 There is no doubt at all that if children can say it, children can write it!
 The more words we know and the richer the vocabulary we have, together
with our confidence in using language for effect, influences how well we
succeed in life.
When else might we talk?
Talk is always involved when your child reads to you. Discuss the plot, the
characters and your opinion of the story etc. There are many more
opportunities to talk to your child, these include:
1.
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In the supermarket talk about:
Things we can see
Places things come from
How things have changed over time
How you choose...
Guess how much things will cost and see who wins
Guess how much the final bill will be and see who wins
Who people you spoke to are and how you know them
2.
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At the doctors talk about:
Notices and pictures on the wall
Why there are magazines and toys
Look at a magazine together and talk about the pictures
Look at a story book / read a story
What we are going to do after the seeing the doctor
3.
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Travelling to the supermarket, school and other places, talk about:
What we see
Where we are going
What we expect to see or do
How we are feeling today
What we are looking forward to
Things that have happened in the news
Don’t forget to talk to your child when you take them to the cinema, the
pantomime, theme parks or any places of interest.
You can also talk to them when you sit down to watch a television programme
together.
What else can you do to encourage quality talking?
1. Use ‘wow’ words. These are big words or interesting words. Encourage
the children to ask what they mean and then tell them if they do not
know.
2. Play games with your child, especially some of the more old fashioned
games like board games and card games.
3. Play lots of word games with your children. These are especially good
when you are travelling or waiting for something. Here are some ideas:
• Give a ‘wow’ word in a sensible sentence and they have to guess
what it means
• Give an adjective (describing word) and then, in turn, they have to
give more that have a similar or opposite meaning
• How many …? Can we find…? Take turns beginning with A…B…C…
(Boys’ names, girls’ names, animals, countries, capital cities, seas
and oceans)
• Play ‘rhyming families’ – you say a word and they have to say a
word that rhymes with it. Keep going until you can’t think of any
more!