Talking transitions: Harnessing the power of oracy to support vocabulary acquisition during the primary to secondary transition

Kathleen McBride, Learning Design Lead, Voice 21, UK Introduction During the transition from primary to secondary school, there is a significant increase in the quantity and complexity of vocabulary that students encounter at school (Deignan et al., 2022). This is also a time of social and emotional upheaval, as they learn to navigate unfamiliar environments and adjust to new routines (Harris and Nowland, 2021) – a time when students’ confidence in their academic abilities and perceptions of self can shift. A high-quality oracy education has the capacity to support transitions (De Vries and Rentfrow, 2016), improving both academic (EEF, 2021) and wellbeing outcomes, particularly for students from lower socio-economic status backgrounds (Oracy APPG, 2021). Championing oracy for vocabulary development Oracy-rich classrooms place talk at the forefront of teaching and learning, providing students with opportunities to hear and use new vocabulary in context. Deignan et al. (2022) wr