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Teaching Oral
Communication Skills in the K-8 Classroom
Woodring College of Education
Professional Development Resource Center
Summer Session 2007
Dates and Times for this class: July 9-13, 8 AM - 12 PM
Credits/Clock hours available
Course Description:
Many children and adults fear speaking in public. Teaching students at
a young age how to speak with skill, enthusiasm and confidence will not
only serve to meet the WA state EALR in communication, but will give
children the foundation of a vital life-long skill. This workshop will
cover specific teaching methods for giving children the tools they need
to develop effective oral and physical communication skills, and reduce
communication apprehension, through storytelling, reader's theatre, oral
interpretation of literature, and public speaking.
Oral Communication skills learning is a vital component of the WA state
Arts and Communication EALRs. However, the majority of communication
teaching in k-8 schools is focused on interpersonal, written and media
communication rather than public presentation skills. There has been a
reduction in the teaching of oral communication skills in recent years
due to a greater emphasis on subjects more strongly included in
standardized testing. Teachers also attribute this reduction (along
with larger class sizes and less time) to an inadequate understanding of
how to teach specific oral and physical delivery skills and a certain
sense of inadequacy in terms of their own public communication
effectiveness. This course will increase teachers’ understanding of the
importance of early communication skills learning and will inspire them
to employ more specific and effective techniques in teaching these
skills.
Studies indicate that children who learn the art of public communication
at an early age, with specific skills comprehended, are less likely to
suffer from communication apprehension and continue to be more confident
in their speaking in subsequent years. Currently most “public speaking”
instruction is given in secondary and higher education settings, yet the
most effective time for students to learn oral communication skills is
during the elementary education years.
Topics covered in course:
- Psychology of
communication apprehension in child development, and benefits of early
oral skills learning.
- Justification for
oral communication activities and creative drama as meeting
educational requirements and supporting learning across the
curriculum.
- Methods of
teaching oral and physical delivery skills to differing age levels.
- Specific and
varied activities in speaking and creative drama and be used to help
children learn, practice and improve communication skills:
- Storytelling
- Theatre Games
- Reader’s
Theatre
- Oral
Interpretation of literature
- Public Speaking
Goals or learner
outcomes:
·
to recognize the
roots, causes and psychology of communication apprehension in children
(and, subsequently, adults).
·
to learn techniques
to reduce communication apprehension in children while giving them the
tools to develop effective oral communication skills.
·
to appreciate the
differences and connections between oral communication and written
communication skills learning and the necessity of both to meet the
state’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs).
·
to develop the
leadership and role modeling skills to effectively draw out the best
in children by using a variety of oral communication activities in
their own classrooms.
·
to leave the
workshop with a plan of action and specific tools to include more oral
communication activities in their classroom teaching.
For further information regarding this course, please contact the
instructor Rosemary Vohs
at 360-650-6446 or
Rosemary.Vohs@wwu.edu
Bibliography on
Teaching Oral Skills in the Classroom
For registration information and details on other
summer courses offered by Woodring College of Education, please go to
the webpage of the
Professional Development
Resource Center.
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