02 / APPROACH
Why EVA
Talk that develops thinking — built on the Education Endowment Foundation evidence base and the Cambridge/Voice 21 oracy framework.
How are EVA lessons different from other educational resources?
Most oracy resources focus on performance — presenting, debating, public speaking. These are valuable skills, but they are not the same as using talk to develop thinking. EVA is built on a different premise entirely: that oracy is at its most powerful when it is the mechanism through which students reason, challenge, and construct understanding together. This is dialogic teaching — and it is what the research shows accelerates progress.
Oracy embedded, not bolted on
Below is an example EVA lesson. Operate the slider to reveal the aspects of the lesson that reflect the different dimensions of the Oracy Framework — and see how it’s embedded in the lesson itself, not bolted on top. Across a unit, all four strands are developed and evidenced.
Framework hidden
Framework revealed
Lord of the Flies, Lesson 1 — the Oracy Framework lens off (the lesson as pupils see it) and on (the strands EVA develops, mapped to each activity).
Oracy Framework © Voice 21 / Oracy Cambridge.
Most resources treat oracy solely as something students perform. EVA treats oracy as how students think.
| FEATURE | TYPICAL RESOURCES | EVA |
|---|---|---|
| Oracy purpose | Performance — presenting, debating | Thinking — exploratory talk that develops reasoning and improves learning outcomes |
| Oracy integration | Bolt-on discussion questions | Embedded in every activity — mapped to the Oracy Framework |
| Teacher guidance | Generic lesson plan | Specific “if you hear… respond with” prompts, participation cues |
| Student talk | “Discuss with your partner” | Exploratory talk stems, Questions-Talk Grids, mid-dialogue checks |
| Writing scaffolds | One-size-fits-all | Fading scaffolds that develop independence across the unit |
| Activity design | Static slides or worksheets | Interactive — reveal toggles, staged activities, jigsaw structures |
| Research base | Curriculum-aligned | EEF evidence-based, dialogic framework, Oracy Framework aligned |
| Enquiry arc | Standalone lessons | Cumulative lesson arc that evidences progression |