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 time, (recess, lunch, arrival/dismissal, breaks) or during other parts of the day. The observation checklist can include the following:

  • The student works well with others in partner and in group work.
  • The student raises his hand during group discussions.
  • 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 recognizes when it is the student’s turn to speak.
  • The student is able to contribute to the discussion by offering appropriate responses or ideas, asking appropriate questions, and responding to others’ questions appropriately.

Note:

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