I advocate giving every child regular opportunities to speak to their whole class.
However, teachers sometimes worry that certain pupils will feel nervous, shy, embarrassed or panicky. It can be tempting to allow these pupils to opt out.
The last thing I want is to create anxiety around talk! But I do feel strongly that pupils should be helped to gain confidence. I think there are three essential elements:
Invest time in nurturing a positive, respectful classroom climate for talk
Give numerous and varied opportunities to gain confidence in talk
Use specific, deliberate techniques to manage and improve the talk
These elements will only work when done together. For example, random selection using lolly sticks is a great technique, but it requires a respectful climate where partial thinking is welcomed, plus well-managed opportunities to rehearse before speaking to the class (for example, high-quality pair talk). Without these, it can do more harm than good.
There are various reasons why some children are less enthusiastic about addressing their peers, but I think our responsibility as educators is to create the conditions where these children can have their voice heard, share their opinion, and vocalise their ideas. Only then will every child become a confident, thinking communicator.
