oral language TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking -- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

Use an observational checklist when observing students during small-group or station time, whole-group discussions, transitions, community times, (recess, lunch, arrival/dismissal, breaks) or during other parts of the day. The observation checklist might include the following:

  • The student works well with others in partners and in group work.
  • The student takes turns during group discussions and actively listens to others when they speak.
  • The student takes turns during games or during transitional activities (lining up, using the restroom, etc.) and has the appropriate problem-solving skills to adjust as necessary.
  • The student gives appropriate responses to others when replying in a discussion.
  • The student listens to others before responding to them.
  • The student is able to contribute to the discussion by offering appropriate responses or ideas, asking appropriate questions, and responding to other’s questions appropriately.
  • The student is able to listen to the ideas of others and build on the ideas of others by extending the thoughts and contributions of peers and adding more complexity or making further connections.

This type of observational checklist may include a scale. For example, the student may receive a + for consistently, a * for inconsistently, or a - for never.

 

Students should understand that working productively with others requires a shared agreement of not only the goals of the partnership but also the expectations for behavior and process for working and communicating together. These established guidelines can encourage the development of a sense of personal accountability and respect as students understand that their individual actions can impact the collective success of the group.
two or more people working together to create or produce something; the ability to work productively with others for a particular purpose