ABSTRACT
When I talk, my thoughts click. ( Jess, age 8)
Introduction There is a sense in which all of us are helped by articulating our thoughts. It is often within the process of explaining or describing what we think, that our thoughts ‘click’ into place and we understand what we already know. In other words, making our implicit thoughts explicit through talk is a powerful learning tool for both adults and children. It may be assumed that because talk is interwoven into the fabric of the classroom and daily life in general, that competency develops ‘naturally’ and without the need for explicit teaching. By contrast, this chapter will highlight the importance of rigorous planning for speaking and listening and in addition the need to plan in specifi c and regular opportunities for assessing this area.
