Hastening slowly on classroom-based conversational skills teaching: A commentary on Abbot-Smith et al., 2023

Abstract

The focus of classroom instructional time continues to be debated among educators, policy makers, academics and health professionals such as speech-language therapists. In this commentary, we emphasise the importance of reserving precious instructional time for developing children’s biologically secondary skills such as reading, writing and spelling. We argue that maintaining a focus on these core curriculum areas is critical. We advise against committing Tier 1 classroom time to conversational skills at the current time, due to the paucity of research evidence to support this. We propose an alternative model for including conversational skills in classroom practice, through the application of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and in particular, Response to Intervention.

Introduction to the special section on topic maintenance in social conversation

“…But it is also needed in order to address the professional stressors and issues of low pay that make recruitment and retention in this workforce so difficult, thereby compromising the provision of evidence-based education. Snow et al (2023) in Australia, however, are not so convinced with the arguments of Abbot-smith et al. While not doubting the importance of social conversation skills, they do not think that the teaching of these skills has a place in the Tier 1, whole-class curriculum.…”

“…University College London, UK This special section of First Language features a review article by Abbot-Smith et al (2023a) titled 'Topic maintenance in social conversation: What children need to learn and evidence this can be taught' plus commentaries by Bryant (2023), Hindman and Chor (2023), and Snow et al (2023), followed by a response by Abbot-Smith et al (2023b).…”

“…Snow et al (2023) in Australia, however, are not so convinced with the arguments of Abbot-smith et al. While not doubting the importance of social conversation skills, they do not think that the teaching of these skills has a place in the Tier 1, whole-class curriculum.…”

Towards an evidence-based approach to fostering collaborative conversation in mainstream primary classrooms: Response to commentators

“…Social conversational ability as a 'biologically primary skill' which 'does not need to be taught' As Snow et al (2023) rightly point out, social conversation and its prerequisite skills (oral language ability, affect recognition, mentalising) are observed universally in human cultures. This could imply that social conversation does not need to be explicitly taught.…”

“…Instead of aiming to improve social conversation skills as part of Tier 1 provision, Snow et al (2023) argue that teachers should be trained to accurately use language and communication screening tools and that adequate Tier 2 (small group) and Tier 3 (one to one) language and social communication therapy should be provided for children who score below a certain threshold (Ebbels et al, 2019). However, models of intervention based on response to intervention are premised on quality first Tier 1 instruction, in this case related to conversational skills.…”