In this 'Commission Conversation' Geoff Barton, Chair of the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England, talks to Pie Corbett about  why talk underpins children's ability to read and write, the importance of storytelling at every phase and how creative subjects can help you understand yourself and the world around you better.

Pie Corbett is a former teacher, head teacher, lecturer and OFSTED inspector who has published and edited over 250 books. He developed ‘Talk for Writing’,  a teaching framework which supports children to imitate the language they need for a particular topic orally, before reading and analysing it, and then writing their own version.  He was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters for services to poetry, storytelling and creative teaching by the University of Winchester.