Oral Language in Action is a graded three-book series designed for Pre-schoolers, Beginner Readers and Budding Actors, supporting the development of oral language, vocabulary, fluency, pronunciation, thinking skills and confidence in communication.
Across the series, learners are supported to:
- enrich vocabulary
- develop spoken language fluency
- improve pronunciation and speech clarity
- engage in creative thinking and logical reasoning
Each book provides a full year of lessons, with a wealth of teacher-led activities, explicit teaching notes and in-depth suggestions on every page. The focus is on high-quality oral language instruction, with learning experiences designed to be purposeful, engaging and developmentally appropriate.
Every page includes teaching suggestions and extension ideas, offering teachers practical ways to lift oral language learning out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.
Book 1
Oral Language in Action for Pre-Schoolers and Pre-Readers
This book addresses the vitally important foundations of early oral language development, supporting children to build the communication skills required for successful transition into school.
Key areas include:
- developing conversation skills
- expanding and using vocabulary
- reciting and enjoying rhymes
- observing, describing and discussing images through picture talk
- sustaining attention and focus when listening
- building verbal comprehension
These skills are developed through structured, playful and socially rich activities, where laughter, engagement and enjoyment are integral to learning.
Well-developed oral language skills are essential for children to make friends, learn effectively, and begin reading and writing with confidence. Research consistently shows that children who require support in speech and language development benefit most from explicit, early and sustained intervention.
Book 2
Oral Language in Action for Beginner Readers
Oral language is foundational to literacy learning and underpins reading, writing, comprehension, social interaction and self-regulation. It is a key tool for learning, thinking and developing a sense of identity.
This book provides teachers with practical, easy-to-implement classroom strategies to promote and invigorate oral language development in the early years of schooling.
The sounds of language (phonics) are introduced in engaging and highly interactive ways. Written tasks are deliberately limited, ensuring oral language remains the primary focus. Learners are actively involved in speaking, listening, thinking and responding — without extended worksheet-based tasks.
Each page supports learning that is vigorous, emotionally engaging, thorough and successful, while remaining manageable for busy teachers.
Book 3
Oral Language in Action for Budding Actors
(English Language Improvisation Topic Book)
This book extends oral language through drama, improvisation and performance-based learning. It includes comprehensive Teaching Notes and Discussion Ideas and is suitable for:
- Drama specialists
- Primary literacy extension classes
- Speech therapists
- L1 and EAL learners
- Gifted and talented students
Through imaginative role-play, improvisation and collaborative activities, learners develop confidence as speakers, thinkers and creative language users. Activities encourage spontaneity, curiosity and expressive risk-taking, with surprise, novelty and humour embraced as essential elements of learning.
The book is designed so there is something for every learner, while offering particular challenge and enrichment for gifted students through its open-ended, “sky’s the limit” ideas.
This book supports the development of:
- speech clarity and confident articulation
- visualisation skills for reading and listening comprehension
- vocabulary enrichment and effective language use
- performance and presentation skills
- memorisation strategies
- self-expression and confidence in personal and school contexts
- independence of thought
- concentration, perseverance and task focus
- social interaction and collaborative skills
- conversational competence
- improvisation and creative language use
The learning is rigorous, expectations are high, and suggestions are often imaginative — but the outcomes are powerful. This book is designed to turn learners into confident, articulate and capable users of English.
Australian Curriculum (English) – Curriculum Alignment
Pre-school to Year 6 (with extension)
- Oral language and interaction skills:
(AC9EFLY01), (AC9E1LY02), (AC9E2LY02), (AC9E3LY02), (AC9E4LY02) - Listening and comprehension:
(AC9EFLY03), (AC9E1LY05), (AC9E2LY05), (AC9E3LY05), (AC9E4LY05) - Vocabulary development and language for thinking:
(AC9EFLY04), (AC9E1LY04), (AC9E2LY04), (AC9E3LY04), (AC9E4LY04) - Phonological awareness and phonics (early years):
(AC9EFLY06), (AC9E1LY08) - Drama, performance and spoken texts:
(AC9E3LE01), (AC9E4LE01), (AC9E5LE01), (AC9E6LE01) - Creating and responding to spoken texts:
(AC9EFLY08), (AC9E1LY06), (AC9E2LY06), (AC9E3LY06), (AC9E4LY06)