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How to teach direct speech (Y3-4)

Unit 6

13:56

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Overview

Starting with taking a consistent approach to the terminology, this unit covers how teachers can begin to develop children’s understanding and awareness of direct speech through activities such as drawing speech bubbles around the words spoken in texts (speech clause). During the course of the video, Rachel models how she explains the structure and punctuation of direct speech to Year 1 children - asking them to add in commas, inverted commas, full stops, etc to sentences. She also looks at the confusion that can arise when the reporting clause and speech clause appear in a different order within a sentence, and how allowing children to master one pattern at a time can help. Covering rules such as starting a new line with each new speaker, Rachel recommends using real texts to show how authors arrange dialogue to make sure that it’s clear to the reader - and how knock knock jokes are an excellent way to teach this!

Course Materials:

Presentation Slides - Download

.pptx file

Training Handout - Download

.pdf file

Course Creator

Image of Rachel Clarke

Rachel Clarke

Directory of the Primary English literacy consultancy, Rachel has over 20 years’ experience in primary education, in which time she has been a SENCO, English subject lead and deputy headteacher. She previously worked as an English consultant for Coventry Local Authority and has written for publishers including Collins and Teach Primary magazine.

About the Course

Whether you’re looking to teach joining words with ‘and’ in Year 1, or you need your Year 6s to recognise the subjunctive form, this series of grammar videos from Rachel Clarke will arm you with some excellent strategies.

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