ABSTRACT
Discussion with an adult depends largely upon the ability of the teacher to organise both her/his own time and that of the children so that for some part of the day s/he is free to sit with a group in a tutorial manner, uninterrupted by children's other demands. When any number of adults are talking together, many are listening, but also are waiting for a break in the flow of conversation to enable them to forward their own ideas; some interrupt, such is their keeness. School talk must develop from home talk and it is during this teacher/child interaction that some formality may be introduced into the discourse in order to help with the written word. All children have a great deal to learn about classroom discourse. Even those children who attend a nursery school before entering the reception class of the primary school will not find the change-over a simple matter.
