"I was painfully shy. I am dyslexic as well. If I could get through a day without speaking and having anyone look at me, then that was a success. But then because of that, because the way that education was back then, I never developed those skills needed and that vocabulary needed."

Michelle Windridge is the National Education Lead for school-based EYFS at Twinkl. She has also been published in TES and EYE magazine.

In this episode Michelle shares her own reflections on the new details being released around the Government's Best Starting Life Strategy.

She tells the story of how she took an unconfident, removed child who would walk into school with fingers wrapped around their tablet... and helped him find his voice. (With the help of 3 curly-tailed heroes.)

Michelle also reflects on her own schooling, in which she opens up about her struggles with shyness and not having the confidence to communicate. Being in school in the 80s with dyslexia and no oracy teaching wasn't easy on her.

She also shares her views on where we need to take oracy: "We need to support the whole network around a child, not just teachers, but working with the entire community to ensure all children get the best possible chance."

You can find Michelle Windridge in all of these places:

LinkedIn

@MrsPrimary_EYFS on Twitter/X

Instagram - @MrsPrimary_EYFS

and on LinkTree

ORACY AND BEYOND is brought to you by Your Podclass: the oracy-led podcast workshop for schools, created by Al Booth - the host of this very podcast.

To bring Your Podclass to your school, email me on [email protected]

Resources Mentioned:

- CAMTREE (Twinkl's Oracy-led Inquiry Program with Cambridge University's Oracy resources.)

Find out more here.

You can find more information about dyslexia at the British Dyslexia Association

If you would like to be a guest on a future epsiode of Oracy and beyond please email me at [email protected]