ABSTRACT
As Nigel Blagg and colleagues summarize: 'The Somerset Thinking Skills course consists of a series of modules designed to teach, discuss and generalize specific concepts, skills and strategies involved in problem solving'. The Somerset Thinking Skills programme is about developing flexible thinkers. The introduction of the Somerset Thinking Skills Modules into the curriculum of these 9-10 year old children has led to marked improvements in their oracy skills. The children's use of higher-order language skills and cognitive strategies, their social awareness, and attitudes to new work had all developed apace. The approach to oracy in classrooms has been a little haphazard, relying mainly on developing resticted modes of discourse, such as the experimental mode, the operational mode and the expositional mode. Children need to be prepared to handle unfamiliar problems and learning tasks independently. With the advent of the National Curriculum there is a necessity to promote children's abilities in both speaking and listening.
