West Lothian project: Listening and Talking

As part of the local authority literacy strategy, listening and talking was identified as the focus for the West Lothian literacy project.

This decision was made following HMIE reports on various schools in the authority which highlighted attainment in listening and talking as an area of weakness.

From an early stage it was clear that through reflective reading and sharing reflective practice, the aims and objectives of our literacy project sat perfectly within the Assessment is for Learning framework.

Three schools were involved in this listening and talking scheme: James Young High School and two of its associated primary schools, Bankton Primary and Dedridge Primary.

The chosen focus groups were two primary 7 classes, one from each primary, and an S1 and S2 class from the secondary. 

Lesson focus

A series of lessons was developed for the primary and secondary schools involved in the project.

For the P7s the focus was on the Level D strands for listening and talking in groups with pupil differentiation in peer/self and teacher assessment.

Pupils were encouraged to listen/talk in a group or one-to-one activity and contribute appropriately to the purpose of the activity by asking questions and answering questions relevantly, whilst supporting an opinion or offering an alternative point of view.

 Word file: P7 lesson plans

Similarly, the lessons for secondary pupils focused on listening and talking in groups with pupil differentiation in peer/self and teacher assessment. However, this time it was based on the Level E strands.

This required pupils to show awareness of others' opinions, suggestions and/or feelings, when in discussion with others. Again, an appropriate contribution to the activity was desired, such as asking and answering relevant questions.

 Word file: S1 lesson plans

 Word file: S2 lesson plans 

Impact on the pupils

The findings from the project highlighted that pupils approached listening and talking time with a more positive attitude. In general, they showed motivation because of knowing the structure/routine of the block of lessons. 

The Primary 7 teacher reported that the pupils' enjoyment of discussion groups was evident. Productive discussions were encountered, as pupils were patiently waiting their turn, listening to each other more carefully and involving those not taking part. Additionally, discussions were being sustained for a longer period of time without talking about unrelated topics.

Impact on the teachers

The Listening and Talking project had a positive effect on the teachers involved. Examples of their feedback included:    

• 'The project altered existing practice in that I now employ strategies used during intervention rather than relying on commercial scheme.'
• 'I feel more focused about the listening and talking behaviours that I am targeting; planning is more cohesive from lesson to lesson.'
• 'Increased confidence in the delivery of such a focused programme - having these skills for ourselves.'