AnactionresearchprojectSummer2010

ASSESSINGSPEAKINGANDLISTENING

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Contents
Page 3 Acknowledgements
Page 4- Statutory Requirements
Page 5 What is the purpose of Speaking and Listening?
Page 6- Good Practice
Page 8- Ideas for Supporting Speaking and Listening Activities
Page 10- Strategies
Page 14- Examples of Level 1
Page 18- Examples of Level 2
Page 23- Examples of Level 3
Page 28- Profile of a Level 1 Child
Page 33- Profile of a Level 2 Child
Page 38- Profile of a Level 3 Child
Page 44- Resources

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Acknowledgements
Our grateful thanks to all those who have contributed:
Karen Williams Assessment Support Team Co-ordinator
Linda Ward Assessment Consultant

Helen Clark Assessment Consultant

J enny Bell - St J ames' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
Fiona Eccles Whittle-le-Woods C of E Primary School, Chorley
Michelle Newell- Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary School, Wrightington
Michelle Singleton- Anderton St J oseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
Caroline Smith- Croston Trinity and St Michael's C of E/Methodist Primary School



This was an action research project run to identify opportunities in the primary
classroom for assessing pupils' speaking and listening skills. The materials in this
document were drawn together from 5 different settings where teachers planned and
carried out various activities involving speaking and listening, then used the evidence
gathered to assess pupils' progress.

At the initial meeting practitioners explored the purpose of speaking and listening
taking into consideration research materials and national guidance. From this four
key areas of good practice were identified which the action research was structured
around:
Planning
Classroom Management and Organisation
Classroom Environment
Strategies
Detailed examples of the assessment of children's speaking and listening skills have
been used to exemplify standards throughout this document. The final section of this
document includes profiles of a Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 child.

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Key Stage 1- Speaking and Listening Project
Statutory Requirement
'Pupils should be taught in all subjects to express themselves correctly and
appropriately and to read accurately and with understanding. Since standard
English, spoken and written, is the predominant language in which knowledge and
skills are taught and learned, pupils should be taught to recognise and use standard
English. In speaking, pupils should be taught to use language precisely and
cogently. Pupils should be taught to listen to others, and to respond and build on
their ideas and views constructively.' National Curriculum
National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Attainment target 1: speaking and listening

Level 1
Pupils talk about matters of immediate interest. They listen to others and usually
respond appropriately. They convey simple meanings to a range of listeners,
speaking audibly, and begin to extend their ideas or accounts by providing some
detail.

Level 2
Pupils begin to show confidence in talking and listening, particularly where the topics
interest them. On occasions, they show awareness of the needs of the listener by
including relevant detail. In developing and explaining their ideas they speak clearly
and use a growing vocabulary. They usually listen carefully and respond with
increasing appropriateness to what others say. They are beginning to be aware that
in some situations a more formal vocabulary and tone of voice are used.

Level 3
Pupils talk and listen confidently in different contexts, exploring and communicating
ideas. In discussion, they show understanding of the main points. Through relevant
comments and questions, they show they have listened carefully. They begin to
adapt what they say to the needs of the listener, varying the use of vocabulary and
the level of detail. They are beginning to be aware of standard English and when it is
used.

Level 4
Pupils talk and listen with confidence in an increasing range of contexts. Their talk is
adapted to the purpose: developing ideas thoughtfully, describing events and
conveying their opinions clearly. In discussion, they listen carefully, making
contributions and asking questions that are responsive to others ideas and views.
They use appropriately some of the features of standard English vocabulary
and grammar.


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What is the purpose of speaking and listening?
To be able to communicate effectively
To develop children's thinking skills
To extend children's vocabulary
To help to sequence and structure children's thoughts
To develop children's ability to be a good listener and engage in purposeful
dialogue
To give all children the opportunity to express themselves regardless of ability
and language
To develop social skills-e.g. turn taking, formality of speech, conventions of
speaking and listening, talk in a range of contexts
To develop an enjoyment of speaking and listening
To improve children's self esteem and confidence
To develop an awareness of audience
To develop speaking and listening skills such as: explanation, instruction,
characterisation, debate, recount, interview, point of view, fact and fiction
To improve standard English and articulation
To educate parents in the importance of
speaking and listening in their homework (see Understanding Progress
Materials-DCSF, try using a homework sheet to communicate with parents)
Homework grid
Bears around the world.
Find out about bears around the world. How many different species are there?
Where do they live? You could write a book, draw pictures or make a fact file.

10 stars
Famous Bears.
How many famous bears can
you think of? Why are they
famous? You
could write a
book, draw
pictures or
Design your own
bear.
Could you draw or
make your
own bear?


Write a story about a bear.
We are learning about
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears in
our Traditional stories unit.
Can you write your own story
about a bear?

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make a fact file.

10 stars

10 stars
10stars
Postcard from Bramble Bear.

We are learning about Bramble Bears travels
around the world. Draw a picture of a place he
has visited and write a postcard from him.

5 stars
Tell your family's 5 things that you
have learnt about bears.



5 stars

Good Practice

Planning
Classroom Management and Organisation
Classroom Environment
Strategies

Planning
Planning should include opportunities for purposeful speaking and listening as
well as identifying opportunities to teach relevant skills. Specific and appropriate
age related activities should be planned for across a range of contexts; and
include a variety of skills and audience. Where possible other adults in the room
should be involved in the planning process and should at the very least know the
precise objectives that will be covered in a
session. Planning also needs to take account of
assessment opportunities; day to day
assessment and include details of next
steps in learning. Providing opportunities for
children to practise and apply their skills e.g.
through role play and cross curricular activities is
essential to developing effective speaking and
listening.

During a science investigation on friction
the children worked in groups together
where they had to discuss their plans
can carry out the investigation.
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Classroom Management and Organisation
A clear strategy for building up a picture of what children can do is needed e.g.
planned assessment as well as incidental/spontaneous evidence. Assessment for
learning is a key component in any effective lesson and the teaching of speaking and
listening is no different; understanding age related expectations is essential in order
to plan for appropriate and challenging lessons including setting clear targets in child
initiated speech. Other adults in the room are a fantastic resource and need to be
managed well to ensure they are supporting individuals and groups well to develop
their skills; this includes training them in what to look for as well as involving them in
planning. Resources in the room should be well organised and clearly labelled.
Access to resources needs to be easy and children should be shown how to use
resources appropriately. Ground rules for using resources should be shared in class
and the children may be involved in establishing these in order to give them
ownership. Through Continuing Professional Development it is important to update
your own knowledge of speaking and listening regularly.

Classroom Environment
their
st of
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An ethos where everyone feels safe and valued encourages independence and
gives children autonomy over their learning. The classroom environment needs to be
stimulating and creative with accessibility to resources and clear rules for their use. A
rich diet of vocabulary in the classroom will enhance the speaking and listening skills
being taught.












Ideas for Supporting Speaking and Listening Activities
1. As part of a skills based curriculum children research a topic using a variety of
sources then orally present their findings, this could be as explanation,
information, instruction or report. E.g. After researching tourism in South
Africa children packed a suitcase and explained their reasons for choosing
specific items to take with them.
2. Using the indoors and outdoors to support role play.




Make use of the outdoors and indoors to
promote speaking and listening.
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3. Use opportunities from school trips and visitors in school.



4. Develop a resource boxes which are clearly labelled and accessible to all.
E.g. puppets, fabric, theatre, microphones, dressing up, masks, hats, wigs,
props.
5. Provide plenty of experiences for the children using audiovisual equipment to
ensure the children are confident and comfortable with their use.



6. Encourage healthy debate. E.g. Use a 'discussion dice' to promote open
ended questioning (excellent for plenaries).
7. Show and tell gives the opportunity for children to talk about personal
interests and experiences.
8. Circle time gives the children the chance to express their views using feelings
and concerns as well as promoting good listening skills and turn taking.
9. Encourage children to think and talk about activities before they make
recordings.
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10. Be an active listener in your own classroom! Make informal
observations/notes.








Strategies
Modelling
Modelling could be a teacher demonstrating what to do or a child who is particularly
skilled in speaking and listening. Could start adult to adult then move on to adult to
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child then child to class/group and finally child to child. Activities most suitable for
modelling would be:
Hot seating
Children generate questions to interrogate a
character from fiction, history or current affairs.
Role-play mathematical problems, (shopkeepers,
chefs, builders) making links to real life problem
solving. Teachers should model both the hot
seating role and the types of questions to be
asked. Questions should be discussed and
generated in advance of the hot seating session.
Modelling and preparation are essential with this
task in order to ensure that the questions are meaningful and searching. You could
have a 'hot spot' or a 'hot seat'.

Interviews

Decide on someone to interview (e.g. a visitor or VIP) children devise, share and
evaluate the best interview questions. Get the children to explain the best types of
questions e.g. open questions get a greater response than closed questions.
Alternatively give a scenario to set the frame for the questions e.g. Why do you think
Goldilocks went into the three bears house?

Photo story
Photo story is a programme which enables
teachers to input pictures, sound, text and
clips for children to create animated stories
or reports. The programme to create photo
stories is free to download off the internet.




Drama
Sapphire Island
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Drama provides many opportunities for children to use heritage languages and
knowledge of a range of cultures to experiment with styles of speaking, gesture and
mime. This could include activities set up by the teacher or free role play.




















Freeze frames

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Freeze frames are still images or frozen drama scenes used to highlight a specific
point. They are useful for provoking thought and discussion with a class. The
children can empathise with characters in a freeze frame by taking their place. The
children should be encouraged to discuss and question the characters thoughts and
feelings before joining the freeze frame.






Talk partners

Talk partners are a fantastic way of ensuring
every child in a class has the opportunity to take
part in discussion. Partners may be allocated by
the teacher and kept for some time e.g. a few
weeks of half term. The children would use these
pairings at specific points in a lesson to discuss
ideas, share experiences and reflect on their
learning. This strategy is especially good when
building up the confidence of individuals.








Effective Questioning


In this example Nye and Sasha give their
views on a fantasy story after discussing
together.
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Teachers should aim to ask a range of questions. It is equally important to develop
childrens questioning skills, too. Children should be actively encouraged to ask
questions. Question to enquire, challenge, clarify, ponder and explore. They should
also be taught the different types and functions of questions. The four main types of
questions are: Closed Questions, Factual Questions, Open-ended questions and
Philosophical questions. In a busy classroom, childrens answers are often accepted
even when they are superficial. Part of the process of developing effective
questioning skills, is to encourage children to give more detailed and insightful
answers. Remember to give the children thinking time and encourage children to
give each other thinking time too before responding or contributing towards an
enquiry.

This discussion was with a group of four children after they had returned from
performing at a dance show at the local high school.
Boogie wonderland


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Examples of Level 1
Level 1
Pupils talk about matters of immediate interest. They listen to others and usually
respond appropriately. They convey simple meanings to a range of listeners,
speaking audibly, and begin to extend their ideas or accounts by providing some
detail. (National Curriculum)

Example 1
Oliver recounts a visit to the steam railway with his family. His recount is a
simple description of what he did and where he went with pauses in between.
Oliver is working as a secure level 1. To progress further he needs to hold the
listeners' interest by linking related points and adding detail to his recounts.

Oliver-Show and Tell
Transcript
One day I went to (pause)
The steam railway and I got his erm (pause)
And we saw loads of tractors and erm (pause)
We saw this machine with erm (pause)
It was making water.

Example 2
Activity - fairytale role play
The children planned alternative fairy tales as a group (guided by SSA). They then
acted out the fairytale as a group. They had to allocate roles and decide what each
character might say and how they might say it.
Seth wanted to play the part of Jack as this was his favourite character. With
the help of Rachel and the other members of his group he was able to think of
what his character might say within the play. He listened well to his peers
suggestions and took turns to speak within his small group (AF2 Level 1).
Throughout the play he contributed simple words and phrases such as give
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me my gold and pass me the axe (AF3 Level 1). When acting out the play for
the rest of the class his speech was limited and he relied more on his gestures
and movements to tell the story (AF3 Level 1). Although he spoke clearly he
did not adapt the way in which he spoke to suit his character. Overall he is
working as a secure level 1.

Example 3
Activity describing an imaginary trip to South Africa
This activity took place after an initial research lesson in which the children used
books and the internet to find out about tourism in South Africa.
Kieran: First I would go to Johannesburg and I would do something with my mum
there
and then I would go home and then in the morning I would go to Cape Town
.
buy stuff, like. for my mum and dad.

Kieran is working as a secure level 1. His answers were simple and related to
his direct personal interests. To move on further her needs to take account of
the listener by linking like ideas together and using more detail.
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Example 4
An Extension for our New Home!
Film Clip Name An Extension to our New House!
Children Involved
William Y2
Toby Year 1
J oseph Nursery







Lesson
Continuous Provision Topic Lesson
Houses and Homes Topic
Context
Children were asked to construct a new house for the three little pigs to live
in. They had to work together to make the house.
Level of Prior
Learning and
Independence
The children had already made the main part of the house using a
cardboard box and the children decided to work as a group to create an
extension for the house using the large outdoor play blocks.
Audience
No one just the three children to begin and other children joined in the
activity later in the afternoon.
Level and Notes
Toby, William and J oseph decided to work together as a group to make the
extension of the house. The dialogue which goes on between the children is
excellent and the children negotiate plans and ideas between themselves.
They have the chance to listen to each other throughout the lesson and the
children end up with an extension on their cardboard box. Toby and William
are the main focus for the APP assessment in this video.

Toby is levelled against the APP Grids as a High Level One child in
speaking and listening.

Next Steps in
Learning
Toby, William and J oseph decided to work together as a group to make the
extension of the house. The dialogue which goes on between the children is
excellent and the children negotiate plans and ideas between themselves.
They have the chance to listen to each other throughout the lesson and the
children end up with an extension on their cardboard box. Toby and William
are the main focus for the APP assessment in this video.

Tobys next steps are to begin to recount experience and share these
with the children he is working within the group.

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Example 5
In an activity during a reading lesson we used the 'Racing Tracks' idea. Here is
a copy of the track and each child's response to the text. Note Rhian's
comments are simple answers that relate to straightforward literal retrieval
from the text. Rhian is working as a secure level 1 in speaking and listening.

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Examples of Level 2
Level 2
Pupils begin to show confidence in talking and listening, particularly where the topics
interest them. On occasions, they show awareness of the needs of the listener by
including relevant detail. In developing and explaining their ideas they speak clearly
and use a growing vocabulary. They usually listen carefully and respond with
increasing appropriateness to what others say. They are beginning to be aware that
in some situations a more formal vocabulary and tone of voice are used.

Example 1
Activity Drama workshop at the Dukes Theatre - Lancaster
The children travelled to the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster for a drama and art
workshop. At the beginning of the workshop the actors demonstrated how to create a
freeze frame. One of the actors then described that the freeze frame was an
imaginary world and told the children what was happening in this world. The children
then worked in small groups to create their own imaginary worlds. As they worked
the actors supported the children and helped them to develop their ideas (see
photographs).

Nicole worked with Jhotpreet and Lewis to create an imaginary world freeze
frame. I watched this group closely and Nicole made helpful contributions to
the group discussion. She made simple comments and suggestions as to what
she wanted to happen in their imaginary world (AF2 Level 2). When the
children had completed their freeze frames the actors asked each group to
pick one child to tell the rest of the class about their imaginary world. Nicole
volunteered straight away and the other children in the group happily accepted
this.
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Example 2
Transcript One to one correspondence between Nicole and one of the adult
actor

Adult: Ok, this looks interesting; I wonder what s going on? What is happening in
your imaginary world Nicole?
Nicole: Jhotty is a magic tree and when you pump her arm chocolate comes out of
her
branches.
Adult: Wow that sounds amazing? What type of chocolate?
Nicole: Melted chocolate and its spills on the ground.
Adult: And who will eat this chocolate?
Nicole: Erm (short pause) the birds.
Adult: And does anything else happen in your imaginary chocolate tree world?
Nicole: Erm yeah the tree can talk.
Adult: Who to?
Nicole: The birds.
Adult: Thats fantastic, thank you for sharing that with us Nicole.

Nicole spoke with confidence in front of her peers, teachers and adults she
had only met that day. She discussed her groups freeze frame well and often
extended and connected ideas (AF1 Level 2). She listened carefully to the
questions asked and paused for thought when necessary. Overall secure
Level 2.

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Example 3

Keziah and Robyn were observed creating their own stories using a range of characters
from different traditional stories.



(Transcript of conversation / narration)
Keziah: Should we do the Little Red Riding Hood story?
Robyn: Why dont we do our own story?
Keziah: Yeah, we can have the wolf and Hansel and Gretel.
Robyn: And the wolf could be in the woods and eat the witch.
Keziah: Ok. You be the wolf and Ill be the witch. Do you want to be Hansel or Gretel?
Robyn: I dont want to be a boy. I want to be Gretel.
Keziah: Ok. One day Hansel and Gretels dad taked them into the woods and left them looking
for fire wood.
Robyn: And then they got lost and were so scared and they started crying.
Keziah: But then they saw a sweetie house made out of toffees.
Robyn: Yeah and it had a chocolate door and lolly trees so they went in and then the witch got
them and put them in a little cage.
Keziah: Lets have the wolf in now.
Robyn: Ok. He could knock on the door.
Keziah: And then he could eat the witch.
Robyn: But what about the kids? He cant eat them!
Keziah: Well maybe they could give him lots of sweets to eat.
Robyn: Yeah and then all his teeth could fall out so he cant eat them!
Keziah: Should we show Rebecca and Amelia?
Robyn: Oh yeah! Ill go get them.



Both pupils engaged in imaginati ve play enacting simpl e characters and situati ons
using everyday speech. They took turns in speaking, showing good listening skills by
responding with appropriate comments or questions to what had gone on before. They
were able to consider alternatives, agree what to do and build on each others
contributions.
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Example 4

Rhian brought in a stick puppet which she had made at home to share with the class
during Show and Tell.





(Transcript of Rhians explanation)

Rhian: Well, on Sunday I made this puppet with my Nana and I drawed it first and then she cut it
out because I couldnt do it right. Then I stuck on some shiny paper for the tail and some glitter.
Then my Nana drawed the face and I put some more glitter on the blue hair.

Teacher: What type of puppet is it that you have made Rhian?

Rhian: Its called a stick puppet because its got a stick at the back and also we put a pin in the
middle so its tail wiggles.

Teacher: What are you going to do with your puppet now?

Rhian: I might make another one and then I can do a puppet show.



Rhian was able to speak confidently and clearly when recounting a personal experience.
She sometimes included relevant detail showing awareness of the needs of her audience
and contributed appropriately when taking turns as both a speaker and a listener. There
were grammatical errors when using the word drawed.

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Example 5
Activity describing an imaginary trip to South Africa
This activity took place after an initial research lesson in which the children
used books and the internet to find out about tourism in South Africa.


Pavanjot: I would get my case packed, go to the airport, get my tickets, go on the
plane,
see the hotel I want I want to stay in an then I would do kind of things
that I
wanted to do but not like at Skelmersdale where I live now. Erm go to
safari and see animals, take pictures of them and then I would send them
to my
family because they said bring back something so I thought I would bring
animal photos back for them.
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Examples of Level 3
Level 3
Pupils talk and listen confidently in different contexts, exploring and communicating
ideas. In discussion, they show understanding of the main points. Through relevant
comments and questions, they show they have listened carefully. They begin to
adapt what they say to the needs of the listener, varying the use of vocabulary and
the level of detail. They are beginning to be aware of standard English and when it is
used.


Example 1

Activity describing an imaginary trip to South Africa
This activity took place after an initial research lesson in which the children
used books and the internet to find out about tourism in South Africa.
Alex: If I went to South Africa I would go on safari and see animals like lions and
tigers and go and watch a World Cup Match and hope for England to win
and then I would climb Table Mountain and see the really nice view at the top.
Id go to Cape Town and go on the beach there and wear my swimming
costume.

Alex remembered significant details from his research. He included
appropriate vocabulary and gave reasons for his choices. Alex is working as a
low level 3.







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Example 2
Activity explanation of and electric circuit - science
One to one correspondence between the teacher and pupil

Transcript
Teacher: What have you been doing this lesson
Hayden?
Hayden: We had to make the bulb light up.
Teacher: Did you mange to do that?
Hayden: Yes it was easy.
Teacher: What did u have to do?
Hayden: First I got a wire and clipped it onto the end of the battery. Then I got
the other wire and clipped that onto the other battery. Those crocodile clips
were dead stiff but I did it!
Teacher: Did that make the bulb light up?
Hayden: No not yet. I had to clip the other ends of the wire to the bulb then and then
the bulb came on.
Teacher: Why did the bulb light up?
Hayden: Because the batteries have got electricity in them and that made the bulb
light up.
Teacher: Did u enjoy this activity?
Hayden: Yes, but the bulb wasnt very bright, I think I need a better one next time.

Hayden spoke confidently throughout this conversation. His speech was well
organised and he listened well to the questions asked (AF1 Level 3). He
adapted language and used specific vocabulary throughout the conversation
(AF1 Level 3). He also added additional relevant details depending on the
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questions asked. He showed a good awareness of standard English and used
it well. Overall secure level 3.

Example 3
Change Speaking and Listening through re-telling the story Whatever Next!

Film Clip Name Change Whatever Next!
Children Involved
Sacha Y2
Olivia Y2









Lesson
Literacy Lesson Focus Settings
Read the story of Whatever Next! to the children and the children had to
work with their talk partner to listen to their partner speaking and then when
they hear Change they swap roles.
Context The children sat and listened to the story as a whole class.
Level of Prior Learning
and Independence
The children had already discussed settings and how a setting can be
changed to be a fantasy setting. The children were using this story to look
at the setting of the house and then the mood as a stimulus for their writing
for the lesson.
Audience The Childs talking partner.
Level and Notes
The children were asked to listen to the story of Whatever Next and listen
to the detail, the descriptions and look at the pictures to help to picture in
their minds what the settings looked like. The children then had the job of
retelling the story to their talk partner and when I said Change they
swapped roles. The children were working in similar ability pairs for this
activity.

Sacha is levelled against the APP grids as a Secure Level Three child
in speaking and listening.

Olivia is levelled against the APP grids as a High Level Three child in
speaking and listening.
Next Steps in Learning
Sasha's next steps in her learning are to develop her non-verbal features of
speaking and listening.
Olivias next steps in her learning are to develop gesture and movement in
her speaking and listening activities.
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Example 4
Talking Partners Feedback to the Class

Film Clip Name Talking Partners Feedback to the Class
Children Involved
Nye Y1
Sacha Y2









Lesson
In literacy the children sat on the carpet together to watch a selection of
film clips and trailers from childrens films. The children then discussed
with their taking partner the setting they had just watched.
Context Literacy Fantasy Stories and Settings
Level of Prior
Learning and
Independence
Children have been looking at and describing a range of settings for the
last couple of lessons and the children have as a class created various
story box settings. The videos which the children watched in the lesson
were all normal settings which had been made into a fantasy setting
through adding a magical character.
Audience The whole class
Learning Objectives
for the Lesson
Chan to think about the settings in the video clips and discuss the setting
and how the snowman makes this into a fantasy setting.
Level and Notes
Nye and Sacha worked together to discuss the snowman and the details of
the characters and the setting. They then spoke clearly to the children in
the class to feedback their findings to the children and what they thought.
They listened to each other and joined in with the conversation in class.

Sacha is levelled against the APP grids as a Low Level Three child in
speaking and listening for this activity.
Next Steps in
Learning

Sachas next steps in her learning are to develop her non-verbal features of
speaking and listening.






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Example 5

Character Setting and Description Group Activity
Clip 1 Clip 2 Clip 3 Clip 4 Clip 5 Clip 6 Clip 7 Clip 8

Film Clip Name Group Work - Character and Setting Description
Children Involved
Hannah Y1
J essica Y2
Tayzia Y1
Elizabeth Y1





Lesson and Context
In literacy the children have been working together looking at a range of
settings and linking this to fantasy settings. The children were asked to
create two items which they could use for a role play they were told to
create a character and a setting and the children planned this together and
created an alien and a rocket. This linked well with the themes of houses
and homes and the space station we have currently in our role play in the
classroom.
Level of Prior
Learning and
Independence
Children have been looking at settings and fantasy settings for a number of
lessons and I asked this group to create the models to act out at the end of
the lesson.
Audience
When making the project the audience was the children in the group. When
the children role played and acted out using the models, the whole class
were watching the children.
Level and Notes
The children worked together outside with a TA to create the models. They
thought through ideas and they negotiated plans and listened to all members
of the group. The children took turns to speak and they did not interrupt
each other. They listened to the questions of the TA well and acted upon
the suggestions from the TA and other children they are working with.

Elizabeth is levelled against the APP grids as a Low Level Three child
in speaking and listening for this activity.
Next Steps in
Learning
Elizabeths next steps in her learning are to develop the level of language
which she is using with her peers in her class.

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Profile of a Level 1 Child


A child working at level 1 will:
Express feelings and ideas when talking about
matters of immediate interest
Begin to listen to others and respond appropriately
Start to understand the need to speak in turn
In simple ways convey meaning to a range of
listeners
Begin to speak clearly and start to develop their ideas
by adding some detail
J oin in with imaginative play taking on roles of
different familiar characters

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Hannah gave the following clues to the class to describe which traditional story character she
had dressed up as;

















Hannah spoke clearly, constructing each clue carefully before saying it. She showed
awareness of what the listeners needed to know by giving sufficient detail to describe her
mystery character. There was no attempt to sequence clues in order to create suspense.
4. Ive got blonde,
curly hair.
5. Im sneaky and
always get into
trouble.
1. I like playing in
the woods.
2. My favourite meal
is breakfast.
3. I love to eat
porridge.
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Im Baby Bear Character Role Play after reading the story Whatever next!

Film Clip Name Character Role Play
Children Involved



Hannah Y1
Lesson
Continuous Provision Topic Lesson
Houses and Homes Topic
Context
The children were asked to talk to their talk partner and
come up with a bank of questions which they could ask
Baby Bear if he visited our school.
Level of Prior
Learning and
Independence
The children in the class had already read the story of
Whatever Next and had been looking at fantasy stories
in class over the week. We looked at the setting of the
house where baby bear set off and the moon as a different
setting which the bear visits.
Audience
When Hannah was in character the class were all
watching and asking Hannah questions as she played the
role of Baby Bear.
Level and Notes
The children were asked to think of questions they would
ask Baby Bear if he visited. I then asked the children who
wanted to be baby bear and come into the classroom to
answer questions on the Hot Spot Hannah volunteered
to do this (Hannah is usually a very shy girl who often
does not like standing up in class)
I decided as it was this child who had volunteered not to
use the mask for the bear as she would not have role
played and answered the questions with the mask on.

Hannah is levelled against the APP grids as a Secure
Level One child in speaking and listening.
Next Steps in
Learning
Hannahs next steps are to extend her ideas by
providing some detail. Hannah also needs to engage
with others through taking turns in pairs and small
groups.

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Character Setting and Description Group Activity
Clip 1 Clip 2 Clip 3 Clip 4 Clip 5 Clip 6 Clip 7 Clip 8

Film Clip
Name
Group Work - Character and Setting Description
Children
Involved


Hannah Y1
J essica Y2
Tayzia Y1
Elizabeth Y1



Lesson and
Context
In literacy the children have been working together looking at a range
of settings and linking this to fantasy settings. The children were
asked to create two items which they could use for a role play they
were told to create a character and a setting and the children planned
this together and created an alien and a rocket. This linked well with
the themes of houses and homes and the space station we have
currently in our role play in the classroom.
Level of Prior
Learning and
Independence
Children have been looking at settings and fantasy settings for a
number of lessons and I asked this group to create the models to act
out at the end of the lesson.
Audience
When making the project the audience was the children in the group.
When the children role played and acted out using the models, the
whole class were watching the children.
Level and
Notes
The children worked together outside with a TA to create the models.
They thought through ideas and they negotiated plans and listened to
all members of the group. The children took turns to speak and they
did not interrupt each other. They listened to the questions of the TA
well and acted upon the suggestions from the TA and other children
they are working with.

Hannah is levelled against the APP grids as a Secure Level 1 in
speaking a listening.
Next Steps in
Learning
Hannahs next steps are to extend her ideas by providing some
detail. Hannah also needs to engage with others through taking
turns in pairs and small groups.

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At the beginning of a unit on information texts the children completed a KWL grid as a class.
Below is a list of question which the class created. Note Hannah's ideas are simple questions
that do not require extended answers.

What we would like to know about dinosaurs
Did you feel sad when people ran away from you? (Kieran)
How do dinosaurs lay their eggs? (Lewis)
How did you become extinct? (David)
What was the first dinosaur ever? (Holly.R)
How many years does a dinosaur live? (Ethan)
What did you eat? (Hannah)
When do dinosaur eggs hatch? (Charlie. O)
How long is a dinosaurs tail? (Roman)
What did mummy dinosaurs eat in the past? (Keira)
What do dinosaurs act like? (Hannah)
How long have dinosaurs been extinct? (Constance)
What are they called? (Hannah)
How many dinosaurs were there? (Luke)
What was the biggest dinosaur? (Sienna)
What was the smallest dinosaur? (Nathan)
Where did they live? (Olivia)
Did you like to eat plants or meat? (Charlie. P)
Did you have any enemies? (Imogen)
Did you have any friends? (Hannah)
How bug were your teeth and claws? (Oliver)
How quickly could you move? (Hana)

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Profile of a Level 2 Child

A child working at level 2 will:
Begin to show confidence in talking and listening
Talk about topics that are of interest to them or which
they enjoy
In simple ways gain and hold the listener's attention, on
occasions showing awareness of the audience and
purpose
Begin to develop and explain their ideas
To make more specific vocabulary choices
Usually listen carefully and respond appropriately
Take turns in contributing to discussion
In some activities extend experiences and ideas by using
different voices, actions and movements in simple roles
and different situations
Begin to be aware that some situations require a different
role and language e.g. formal and informal situations

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Jake worked as part of a group of 4 to play 'Racing Tracks' in response to reading a text.



Throughout the activity Jake responded with appropriate comments linked to what he had
read. He took turns as part of his group and listened carefully to what others had to say. Jake
is currently working as a secure level 2 for speaking and listening.

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During a mathematics lesson on position and direction the children used beebots and
programmed them to go from one point to another on the floor mat. In this activity Jake
worked as part of a small group to create programmes for beebot.








Jake listened carefully to his group's suggestions and ideas. He responded well and made
vocabulary choices specific to the position and direction activity. When speaking Jake was
able to justify why he thought an idea was correct e.g. " The beebot is one square long so we
need to press the forward arrow the same number of squares we want it to move." Jake is
currently working as a secure level 2.
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Jake gave the following clues to the class to describe which traditional story character he had
dressed up as;















Jake spoke clearly but quite quietly as he delivered his clues to the class. He was able to keep
the interest of the listeners by ordering his clues so the identity of his character was not
apparent immediately. He used some precise and detailed vocabulary and showed an
awareness of the use of standard English in speech.


6. Im in lots of traditional
stories.
2. I dont have any friends.
3. I can roar very loudly and
always scare people.
5. Im brown and furry.
1. I have big pointy
ears and very sharp
claws.
4. I like to eat pigs for
my breakfast and
dinner.
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Jake worked as part of a mixed ability group to retell the story of The Three Little Pigs using
the puppet theatre. He played the part of the wolf.








(Transcript of puppet show)
Narrator: Once upon a time there were three little pigs and they lived with their mother in a tiny
cottage. One day their mother said ...
Mother Pig: You are too old now. You must all leave home and build your own houses.
Narrator: So the three pigs left home to build their own houses.
First Little Pig: Im going to build my house out of this yellow straw.
Second Little Pig: Im going to build my house out of these broken sticks.
Third Little Pig: I want a strong house so Im going to build my house out of these hard, solid bricks.
Narrator: The next day the first little pig was making his dinner when he heard a knock at the door.
Wolf: Little pig, little pig, let me in.
Narrator: Shouted the wolf.
First Little Pig: No, no, not by the hair of my chiny chin chin.
Wolf: Then Ill huff and Ill puff and Ill blow your house down flat.
Narrator: So the wolf huffed (huffing noise from wolf) and he puffed (puffing noises from the wolf) and
he blew the house down (loud blowing noise).




Jake was able to improvise and sustain his role as the wolf throughout the puppet show. His
apt and timely responses illustrate his ability to listen carefully, contributing when appropriate
for his character and using excellent expression and intonation in his voice. Clear and audible
speech was observed throughout the retelling.




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Profile of a Level 3 Child

A child working at level 3 will:
Talk and listen confidently in different situations
Sequence, explore and communicate ideas in an
organised way
Show understanding of the main points in a discussion
Show they have listened carefully through making
relevant comments and questions
In most situations, is able to adapt what they say to
meet the needs of the audience/listener
Vary the use of vocabulary and level of detail
Start to show awareness of how and when standard
English is used
Show understanding of characters and contexts by
changing voices, actions and movements

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As part of a Literacy lesson the pupils were asked to write questions to ask the third little
pig. Mia volunteered to play the role of the pig during the following hot seating activity.








(Transcript of questions and answers)

Isaac: Why did you choose bricks to build your house?
Third pig: I wanted a strong house and I know bricks are very solid.

Evie: How did you feel when you heard there was a wolf in the area?
Third pig: I felt terrified but I knew my house was strong so I just stayed inside with the door locked.

Daniel: Did the wolfs breath smell when he huffed and puffed?
Third pig: Oh, it was disgusting even with my windows shut. It nearly made me faint!

Aimee: What were you cooking in your pot?
Third pig: I was making stew for my dinner but I had to throw it all away after the wolf fell in it.





Mia adopted and sustained her role as the third little pig, altering her voice and intonation as
appropriate. She spoke with clear diction and there is evidence of language cohesion
demonstrated through the consistent use of the past tense. She was able to select
vocabulary for effect and used a number of connectives to form complex sentences which
added effect to her responses.
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Mias Interview with Mr Wolf




















How were you
feeling when you
visited the pigs?


Will you be going
back to the house
of bricks to see the
pigs again?


Why were you so
mean and nasty to
the little pigs?

When you jumped
out of the water and
ran away, where did
you run to?

I was starving
because I had not
eaten all week. It
had made me very
grumpy!

They made me very
annoyed when they
would not answer
their doors. I was
only trying to make
friends at first!

I ran far away into
the forest to find
another family of
pigs for my dinner!
Certainly not! They
are far too clever
for me! I am going
to have to search in
other places for my
dinner now!
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Mia worked as part of a group to investigate the main features of non-fiction books. She
confidently took the lead in reporting their findings back to the class.





During the group discussion Mia took on the role as leader, organising the group and suggesting
how they could record their findings. She ensured that everyone had a role and could participate in
the task fairly. Turns were taken as both a speaker and a listener.
Once the task was completed, it was agreed that Mia would report back to the class.



(Transcript of Mias explanation)
Mia: In our group we looked at lots of non-fiction books and decided to write down the main features
of them in a mind map. On our list we wrote contents page, subheadings, diagrams with labels and
also photographs. The photographs sometimes have captions underneath them to explain what the
photograph is about. At the back of a non-fiction book there is a glossary and an index and they are
in alphabetical order. Also the pages have numbers so you can find what page you want to read. We
wrote down title but all books have a title. We wrote down bold writing as well and the words in bold
are usually in the glossary. I think those are all the main things we found in our books. (Paused and
then said ...) Thank you for listening.




Mia was able to feed back to the whole class in a sustained manner using accurate technical
vocabulary to describe the features identified. She could give a clear explanation, conveying
detailed information clearly and audibly using more formal language appropriately.

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Mia wrote and presented her own weather report as part of a geography lesson.




(Transcript of Mias weather report)

Good afternoon everybody and welcome to todays weather report.
In England today it will be sunny but cloudy so you will need to wear your coats. In Scotland it will
be a dry morning but there might be showers this afternoon. It will be rather rainy all day in Wales
so dont forget your brollies. In Northern Ireland you will have a dry and sunny day with only a little
chance of a shower later on. The rest of Ireland will have a lovely day so you could go to the
beach.
Thank you for listening to my weather report and have a good day.





Mia was able to sustain her role, adapting her language and non-verbal features to suit the
purpose. She included sufficient relevant detail to engage her listeners and used some
precise vocabulary. Her tone of voice and gestures enabled her to maintain the attention of
her audience.

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Mia gave clues to the class to describe which traditional story character she had dressed
up as.

















Whilst giving her clues, Mia spoke confidently, clearly and with interesting use of facial
expressions and gestures. She consistently made eye contact with her audience and kept
their interest with varied voices and intonation. Many precise and adventurous vocabulary
choices were made and many clues were expanded with additional details.




1. I live all alone
because other
people are
terrified of me.
2. I like to lurk in dark
and dirty places
3. My skin is an unusual
colour and is covered in
lumps and bumps.
4. I get very
grumpy when
anyone comes too
close to my home
in the countryside.
5. My clothes are
ragged, full of holes
and quite smelly.

6. I like to snooze
during the afternoon
and hate being
woken up by trip
trapping over my
bridge.
7. My favourite food is
barbecued goat
with fried daisies.

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Resource List
Publications
National Curriculum POS DCSF
Understanding Progress: Engaging Pupils and Parents DCSF
Understanding Progress in Mathematics DCSF
Understanding Progress in English DCSF
Magic Page Oxford Reading Tree
i-read Cambridge
Talk for Maths Rising Stars
Speaking, Listening, Learning: Working with children in key stages 1 and 2 DCSF
Excellence and Enjoyment DCSF
APP Speaking and Listening Standards Files DCSF
APP Speaking and Listening Guidelines

Useful classroom resources

Photostory- free to download off the internet
Flip video cameras/digital cameras
Easy speak microphones
Talking tin lids
Talking post cards
Story sacks
Costumes and props
Role play area and boxes
Puppets and theatre
Discussion dice for plenaries
Share bears for circle time
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'Hot spot' for hot seating
CD Player
IWB
Walkie Talkies
Webcams