Literacy News

Building Strong Speaking and Listening Skills at School and Home

At St John's, we value communication as a vital part of learning, relationships, and faith. Developing strong speaking and listening skills helps students express their ideas clearly, build confidence, collaborate with others and engage meaningfully with the world around them. These skills are also closely connected to reading and writing success.

In the classroom, students are regularly given opportunities to share their thinking, participate in discussions, and practise active listening. Whether it’s through partner work, group tasks, oral presentations or prayer and reflection, we encourage respectful communication where every voice is valued.

Why Speaking and Listening Matter

Strong oral language skills support students to:

• Share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings clearly
• Listen with understanding and empathy
• Build friendships and work cooperatively
• Develop confidence in a range of situations
• Strengthen reading comprehension and writing

Practical Ways to Support at Home

You play an important role in developing your child’s communication skills. Here are some simple and effective ideas you can try at home:

1. Make Time for Conversation

Set aside time each day to talk. This could be at dinner, in the car, or before bed. Ask open-ended questions such as:

• “What was something interesting you learned today?”
• “What made you feel proud today?”Encourage your child to elaborate on their answers.
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2. Model Good Listening

Show your child what active listening looks like by:

• Making eye contact
• Not interrupting

• Responding thoughtfully.

   

This helps children understand that their voice is valued and teaches them how to listen to others.

3. Read and Discuss Together

After reading a book, ask questions like:

• “Why do you think the character did that?”

• “What might happen next?”This builds both comprehension and speaking skills.

   

4. Encourage Storytelling

Invite your child to retell events from their day or create their own stories. You could prompt them with:

• “First… then… finally…”

• “Who was in your story? Where did it happen?”

   

5. Play Listening Games

Games like “Simon Says,” following multi-step instructions, or repeating sequences can strengthen listening skills in a fun way.

6. Expand Vocabulary Naturally

When your child speaks, gently introduce new words by extending their sentences. For example:

• Child: “I saw a big dog.”

• Adult: “You saw a large, fluffy dog at the park.”

   

7. Encourage Respectful Turn-Taking

Practise taking turns in conversations and remind children to wait, listen, and respond appropriately.

Working Together

By supporting speaking and listening at home, you are helping your child become a confident communicator and an engaged learner. These skills also help them to live out our school values—to be Respected, to be Safe and to Learn.