Diving into Dialogue through Inquiry Years 4 – 6 Kath Murdoch

Ron Ritchhart describes language as a key “cultural force” in the classroom. We have known for decades that what we say and how we say it has a profound effect on how children see learning and on the development of their identity as learners. The way a teacher uses language is a critical element in the pedagogy of inquiry. Of course, successful inquiry is not only dependent on teacher’s use of language but on the oral language competency of our learners. The process of inquiry itself is about constructing and reconstructing understanding over time this is highly dependent on the capacity to engage with others in exchanging and building on ideas, being able to use language to question, to dig deeper and critique texts. Students need practice in using their language to elaborate, justify and modify their own thinking. This requires classrooms in which teachers talk less and listen more and in which there are protocols and routines that support purposeful talk. As Britton famously said: ‘Talk is the sea on which learning floats.’ When we bring an inquiry stance to teaching and learning, we engage in highly intentional powerful dialogue – carefully balancing listening and speaking as we support children’s thinking. Inquiry can and should provide numerous opportunities for children to engage in dialogue about their theories, questions, ideas and reflections with increasing confidence and sophistication.