Cambridge Square
Wyton on the Hill
Huntingdon
Cambs.
PE28 2JB
Tel: 01480 452032
Fax: 01480 451004
E-mail:
http://www.wytonprimaryschool.org.uk
Head teacher: Ms Jo Phillips
Monday 28th May 2012
Dear Parents and Carers,
Whole School Talk Topic
What is a whole school topic?
Exactly what it says on the tin!
A topic everybody in school is invited to have an opinion and talk about.
Why have a whole school talk topic?
Parents often ask us, “What can we do to help our children learn in school?”
The answer is very simple – just talk with them!
We believe that speaking and listening are essential communication skills, which are central to children’s intellectual, social and emotional development. In the words of the inspirational educationalist Lev Vygotsky, ‘Young children talking and thinking in partnership with supportive adults are operating at the leading edge of their potential…At this level they are able to go well beyond their limitations of what they can do alone and unaided … taking children beyond themselves, so to speak.’
We also believe that talk is essential for developing writing: “If a child can’t say it, a child can’t write it.”
In fact, we think talk is so important for learning that during this Monday’s assembly, we launched a new initiative with the children – The Whole School Talk Topic.
How will it work?
The idea is that each week in Monday’s assembly, the children help to choose a topic which will get the whole school talking. Children will bring home a slip outlining the talk topic.
All staff will be encouraged to engage with our children on the topic as often as possible during the week and opportunities for feedback and review on the subject of the whole school talk topic will be provided in class.
You’ve heard of people ‘singing for their supper’, but we would like to invite you to ‘talk for a free school lunch’. Every Thursday, the school will hold a special Talk Topic Lunch, in which 6 parents will be invited to sit at special tables to talk with a group of children about the talk topic of the week. If you feel you would like to be invited to one of these special Talk Lunches, please complete the form overleaf.
How can I support my child?
Ø Encourage as many family members as possible to be home for a Talk Topic evening round the dinner table or instead of watching the TV / games console.
Ø Don’t just give your opinion, use the ‘because’ word to explain why you think that.
Ø Give the possible opinions of two contrasting family members who are not present for the talk, and use the ‘because’ word to explain why they may be different.
Ø Ask others around the table to give their opinions and to use the ‘because’ word.
Ø Ask your child his / her opinion and ask them to use the ‘because’ word.
Ø Link the topic back to something you remember from when you were a child and say why things may be different now and / or project forward to how things may be different in the future.
Ø Ask questions to stimulate children’s thinking and opinion-forming such as ‘What if…?’ or ‘What might happen then?’ or ‘How would that work?’
This week’s Talk Topic (as voted for by the children) is:
Is it possible that dogs could
ever take over the world?
Yours sincerely,
Jo Phillips
______
I would be interested in taking part in one of the school’s Talk Lunches, which will be held after half term on Thursdays between 12pm and 1pm.
Name:______
Name and class(es) of child(ren): ______
Signed: ______
Date: ______