HELPING YOUR CHILD DEVELOP SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS AT HOME

INTRODUCTION: WHY SPEAKING AND LISTENING MATTER

Speaking and listening – also known as oracy – are essential skills that help your child succeed in school and in life. From improving vocabulary and confidence to building relationships and critical thinking, oracy is a key part of learning. By encouraging more talk at home, you can support your child’s academic progress and help them become a confident communicator.

The activities in this guide are designed to fit into everyday routines and can be adapted to suit your family’s needs, whether during dinner time, on walks, or while getting ready for bed.

QUICK LIST OF SPEAKING AND LISTENING IDEAS FOR HOME

1. Family debates
   Have a fun debate with your child about a simple topic, like "Would you rather be invisible or fly?" You don’t need special materials – just take turns sharing ideas. For ideas on possible debate topics, see the end of this resource or our Debating Support for Home resource.

Why it helps: Debating helps children develop reasoning skills and teaches them to consider different viewpoints.

2. Role play games
   Let your child pretend to be someone else, like a shopkeeper, teacher, or doctor, and act out scenarios using everyday items.

Why it helps: Role play strengthens creative thinking and helps your child practice speaking in different settings, whether with toys or with family members.

3. Word of the day
   Introduce a new word each day, like one from your child's schoolwork or a book, and encourage them to use it in conversation throughout the day.

Why it helps: Expanding vocabulary helps children express themselves more clearly. You can choose words that fit your daily routine or interests.

4. Dinner table conversations
   Set aside a time where each family member shares something about their day. If you don’t have a dinner routine, this can happen during any quiet moment, like while doing household chores or during walks.

Why it helps: This builds listening skills and teaches the value of conversation.

5. 20 questions game
   Play a guessing game where your child asks yes/no questions to figure out what you’re thinking of. No special items needed – just your imagination!

Why it helps: This game encourages logical thinking and helps your child practice asking good questions.

6. Create a story together
   Take turns adding a sentence to build a story, either aloud or through drawings.

Why it helps: This strengthens creativity and teaches your child how to build on others’ ideas in conversation.

TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL DAY

When we ask children if they had a good day, the answer is often a simple "yes" or "no," which can leave us wondering about the rest of their experiences. Encouraging children to talk about their day can help them process their feelings, celebrate successes and share moments they may be proud of or need support with. Providing open-ended questions can open the door to richer conversations, helping them reflect on their day and build communication skills. Below are some ideas to help create this dialogue and invite more than one-word responses.

QUESTIONS TO BROADEN THE CONVERSATION

• What made you smile today?
• What was the best thing that happened at school today?
• What was the worst thing that happened at school today?
• What made you feel proud today?
• Tell me something that made you laugh today.
• What was the book about that your teacher read?
• Can you tell me an example of kindness you saw or showed?
• If you could choose, who would you like to sit by in class? Who would you not want to sit by? Why?
• Did you learn something you didn’t understand?
• What’s the biggest difference between this year and last year?
• Teach me something I don’t know.
• Who did you sit by at lunch today? What did you talk about?
• Can you show me something you learned today?
• Did anyone do anything silly to make you laugh?
• What part of school is your favourite?
• What was the most interesting or funny thing your teacher said today?
• What class rules does your teacher say are important?
• Did you help anyone today?
• Tell me one interesting fact about your teacher.
• What’s your favourite time of day at school?
• Rate your day on a scale from 1-10. Why?
• What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
• Did you get frustrated with anything at school today?
• What is your least favourite part of the school building or day? And your favourite? Why?
• Tell me about a new word you heard today at school.

HOW THESE ACTIVITES HELP YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT

These activities don’t require special materials or time to be set aside – just moments of conversation that can fit into your family’s daily life. Whether you’re sharing stories, playing games, or having discussions, you’re helping your child develop the skills they need for school and beyond.

• Building vocabulary: Conversations at home expose your child to more words, helping them understand school subjects and express their ideas better.
• Confidence in speaking: The more your child talks in a comfortable setting, the more confident they become, which helps in social situations and at school.
• Active listening: These activities teach your child to listen carefully and respond thoughtfully, helping them learn from others and communicate effectively.
• Critical thinking: Activities like debates and guessing games encourage your child to think logically, solve problems, and defend their ideas.

REFLECTING ON YOUR CHILD’S PROGRESS

As you encourage speaking and listening at home, here are some questions to help you reflect on how your child is developing these skills.

• Has your child used any new words in conversation recently?
• Do they seem more confident when speaking with others?
• Are they listening more attentively and asking thoughtful questions?
• Do they share more ideas or stories during family conversations?
• Are there moments when your child seems unsure or hesitant when speaking?

NEXT STEPS FOR SUPPORTING SPEAKING AND LISTENING AT HOME

These activities are meant to fit into your family's everyday life – whether during quiet moments, walks, or mealtimes. No special materials are needed, just time to talk and listen. If you’d like more tips on how to encourage your child’s communication skills, feel free to ask your child’s teacher for additional resources.

FINAL TIP: KEEP IT FUN AND FLEXIBLE!

Remember, the goal is to make speaking and listening a natural part of your family’s routine. These activities can be done anywhere, anytime, and should feel fun rather than like extra homework. By making conversation a regular part of your day, you’ll help your child become a confident communicator.

DEBATE IDEAS

1. Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
2. Is it better to have a pet cat or a pet dog?
3. Should everyone have homework, or should schoolwork stay at school?
4. Is it better to play indoors or outdoors?
5. Which is better: ice cream or cake?
6. Should school start earlier or later in the day?
7. Would you rather live in a treehouse or a castle?
8. Which is better: summer holidays or winter holidays?
9. Should children be allowed to choose their own bedtime?
10. Is it more fun to read a book or watch a movie?
11. Which is better: super strength or super speed?
12. Should we have more rainy days or sunny days?
13. Is it better to be a superhero or a wizard?
14. What’s more important: being kind or being smart?
15. Would you rather visit the past or the future?
16. Should children be allowed to eat dessert before dinner?
17. Is it better to be able to talk to animals or read minds?
18. Which is better: being able to breathe underwater or fly in the sky?
19. Should weekends be longer than weekdays?
20. Is it better to go on holiday to the beach or the mountains?