Regular readers of this blog will know that I have sung the praises of award winning publisher B Small Publishing in the past and I am about to do so again! Their books are presented in a style that has high child appeal but also empowers their young readers providing them with valuable information and skills. Their new series, Learning Skills, has the added bonus of being a useful classroom tool for teachers.

How To Speak and Be Heard is an introduction to oracy. This is a buzz word that I have inceasingly heard mentioned in conversations about the current curriculum and is defined as: learning to talk (speaking), learning through talk (listening) and learning about talk (communication). Oracy is something we all use every day in different ways. This book, written in collaboration with oracy charity the English Speaking Union, is constructed in a way that guides children through the different aspects and provides them with tools to achieve this valuable skill.

How to speak confidently is an important asset throughout life. For children it is important that they learn how to speak or give a talk in front of others in the classroom but it is also of value in forming friendships, teamwork, playing with and negotiating with others. In How To Speak and Be Heard! key points are highlighted and suggested activities and word definitions are provided. There is emphasis on the importance of listening and the different types of non-verbal communication used in society. Advice is given on the subject of authenticity and how to speak in your own words to express personal thoughts and ideas. The tone of the text by Sam Hutchinson is positive and encouraging, ensuring that the more intimidating aspects of oracy such as public speaking are explained and suggestions on how to overcome possible difficulties are given.

The suggested activities throughout, for example writing down forms of communication used in a family, describing the positive and negative aspects of presentation styles, and story chains could all be used in a classroom setting. The design and presentation by Vicky Barker with information presented in bite sized chunks with colourful illustrations and text boxes is appealing and less overwhelming for children than text heavy pages making this suitable for the suggested readership of 7+. Some young children may need support with some vocabulary but definitions are provided within the information and in a glossary at the end.

It will be interesting to follow the development of this series with the next two titles covering scientific and critical literacy. How To Speak and Be Heard! is published on 5th February and I should like to thank the publisher B Small Publishing and Naomi Weeks for providing my review copy.