Literacy Numeracy Secretariat/ Self Identification Project Oral Language Project

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Literacy Numeracy Secretariat/ Self
Identification ProjectOral Language Project

• Larry Hope
• Jack McMasterJeannie McMaster

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The Project

• a research project to develop and evaluate
  strategies and approaches to oral language
  assessment and instruction
• aim to assist the language development of all
  students and help close the achievement gap
  between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal JK, SK(2007
  -2008) and Grade 1 students (2009)

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Why Oral Language?

• Many students commence school with low levels of
  oral language
• Because it provides the foundation of reading and
  writing, it is vital that teachers give close
  attention to oral language and adjust their
  instructional language and teaching approaches to
  get all students to high levels

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Measuring Oral Language

• Oral Language Assessment short screening test,
  consisting of 15 sentences, comprising three sets
  of five sentence types. A student receives a
  score of 1 for every sentence repeated
  correctly. The possible range of total scores is
  thus from 0-15.

Distribution of OLA Total Scores by Grade SIP,
September 2008
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Key Findings 2007 - 2008

• Aboriginal students generally progressed at the
  same rate as their Non-Aboriginal peers, although
  from a much lower starting point.
• At the end of the year, the profile of SK
  Aboriginal students was virtually
  indistinguishable from that for JK Non-Aboriginal
  students.

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Oral Language A Missing Link to Reading Success
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Where to next?

• To go deeper in bringing about change in our Oral
  Language instruction to take the strategies
  into grade 2 and then grade 3
• To build internal capacity within the
  participating NOEL boards so that the
  improvements become self-sustaining
• To build lateral capacity that would enable the
  understandings and practices developed to be
  implemented across the province.