Fundamental to the Development of Literacy Education
This infographic that I designed represents the key
messages related to the Oral Communication strand of the Language Arts
curriculum. Oral Communication is fundamental to the development of literacy
education (Language Arts Curriculum, 2006). Real purposeful talk provides
students with opportunities to understand ideas, explore concepts, discuss
problem solving strategies, make connections, clarify, and organize thoughts.
The process of oral communication is a combination of listening and talking.
This ongoing process is illustrated in the top right corner of the infographic.
The instructional strategies for oral communication are listed in order of the
amount of teacher support provided for each strategy. Teachers explicitly teach
and model skills students need to become proficient in literacy. Students learn
through shared and guided practice. The teacher provides an array of
opportunities to practice independently and demonstrate their achievement of
the learning expectations. Independent practice is the goal of instruction. The
skyline of the city reflects the idea that oral communication “skills are
essential for social interaction at home, at school and in the community”
(Language Arts Curriculum, 2006, p.9). In addition, listening and speaking
skills are vital tools to help students understand what they are learning in
other subjects. Math, science, social studies, and the arts are highlighted in
my infographic as subjects that require students to communicate what they have
learned as well as what needs clarification. My infographic describes
differentiated instruction in the bottom left hand corner. Differentiation
depends on the individual student, their experiences, perspectives and background
knowledge. Visual supports, providing additional time and technology are ways
to accommodate to individual needs. There are three body figures, each a
different shade of blue. This reflects the idea that the level of challenge
depends on each individual student. All students are different and require
different needs to be successful. The magnifying glass represents the teacher’s
responsibility to discover what works best for each of their students.
Assessment of oral communication is depicted in the bottom right hand corner of
the infographic. I have highlighted assessment opportunities for, as and of
learning illustrating how they differ and why each of them are necessary in the
learning process. In conclusion, the purpose of my infographic is to visually
illustrate the importance of the Oral Communication strand and how the
development of listening and speaking skills are fundamental to education.
