Describing Aloud
PROCEDURALDescribe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail; speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly; give well-structured descriptions and explanations
Mastery Evidence
- Describe a familiar person or place using several details
- Speak clearly and loudly enough for the whole group to hear
- Organise ideas logically when sharing information or telling about an event
Assessment Prompt
“Can [child] tell you about something that happened — like a trip or a film — in enough detail that you could really picture it, speaking clearly so you can follow along?”
Curriculum Standards10 alignments
SL.1.4Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsDescribe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
SL.1.6Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsProduce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 1 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 26 for specific expectations.)
SL.2.4Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsTell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
SL.2.6Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsProduce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 2 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 26 for specific expectations.)
SL.3.4Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsReport on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
SL.3.6Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsSpeak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 28 for specific expectations.)
SL.K.4Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsDescribe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
SL.K.6Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsSpeak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
Eng.SL.5The national curriculum in EnglandGive well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
Eng.SL.8The national curriculum in EnglandSpeak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
Prerequisites2
- Expressing & Justifying OpinionssoftAges 4—6
- Group discussionssoftAges 4—11
Show full prerequisite tree
- Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
- Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
Unlocks6
- Formal and Informal EnglishsoftAges 7—10
- Planning Ideas Before WritingsoftAges 6—10
- Reporting & RecountinghardAges 8—11
- Saying Sentences Before Writing ThemsoftAges 5—6
- Justifying mathematical reasoningsoftAges 7—8
- Reciting PoetryhardAges 6—10