ABSTRACT
Assessment of talk serves two primary functions. Firstly, it allows the teacher to make judgements about the development of talk itself and at times this is a statutory requirement. Secondly, it affords the teacher an opportunity to assess other forms of understanding which are communicated through that talk:
A child who feels confident with her or his knowledge in a particular area is more likely to be fluent, at ease, capable of communicating information, making explanations or being persuasive, than a child who has no particular expertise in that area. On the other hand, a child might know a great deal yet not wish to voice that knowledge publicly, or show the ability to use particular talk strategies on any given occasion.
