English // Area
Speaking & Listening
Age coverage
Ages 4 to 14
Starts at age 4 // 6 topics
Starting at age 4
At age 5Your child is developing essential communication skills — learning to listen carefully, speak clearly, participate in conversations, and express their thoughts and ideas confidently with others.
- Listening and responding
Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; follow agreed-upon rules for discussion such as listening to others and taking turns speaking
Ages 4 to 11Method - Exploring Ideas Through Talk
Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining, and exploring ideas; use strategies to build vocabulary through talk
Ages 4 to 6Thinking skill - Group discussions
Participate actively in collaborative conversations staying on topic; continue a conversation through multiple exchanges; maintain attention in discussions
Ages 4 to 11Method - Describing Aloud
Describe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail; speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly; give well-structured…
Ages 4 to 8Method - Expressing & Justifying Opinions
Articulate and justify answers, arguments, and opinions; participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, and debates
Ages 4 to 6Method - Asking Questions
Ask relevant questions to extend understanding; ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify something not understood
Ages 4 to 11Method
Starts at age 6 // 1 topic
Starting at age 6
Your child is building confidence in speaking aloud — memorising and performing poems with expression, and learning to speak clearly in complete sentences when presenting to others.
- Reciting Poetry
Learn poems by heart and recite with appropriate intonation, adding visual displays to descriptions when appropriate, and producing complete sentences in spoken…
Ages 6 to 10Method
Starts at age 7 // 1 topic
Starting at age 7
Your child is developing confidence as a speaker and listener — learning to engage their audience, consider different viewpoints, and choose appropriate language for different situations.
- Engaging Listeners and Valuing Viewpoints
Gain, maintain and monitor the interest of listeners when speaking; consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on others'…
Ages 7 to 8Thinking skill
Starts at age 8 // 2 topics
Starting at age 8
Your child is developing stronger discussion and presentation skills — learning to prepare for conversations, share ideas clearly, and present information in an organised way.
- Preparing for and Explaining in Discussions
Come to discussions prepared, draw on preparation and known information, and explain ideas in light of the discussion
Ages 8 to 11Method - Reporting & Recounting
Report on a topic or recount an experience with organised facts and descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace
Ages 8 to 11Method
Starts at age 9 // 2 topics
Starting at age 9
Your child is developing critical listening skills, learning to identify key ideas from what they hear and evaluate whether speakers provide good reasons and evidence for their points.
- Identifying Reasons Behind a Speaker's Points
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points, evaluating whether the reasoning is logical and the evidence is relevant
Ages 9 to 10Method - Paraphrasing What You Hear
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, capturing the key ideas accurately in one's own words
Ages 9 to 10Method
Starts at age 10 // 6 topics
Starting at age 10
Your child is developing sophisticated communication skills — learning to adapt their speaking style for different audiences, participate thoughtfully in discussions, and create presentations that effectively combine spoken words with visual elements.
- Evaluating a Speaker's Argument
Summarise the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence, evaluating the logic and relevance of the support
Ages 10 to 11Method - Summarising Spoken and Media Presentations
Summarise a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats including visually, quantitatively, and orally
Ages 10 to 11Method - Drawing Conclusions from Discussion
Review the key ideas expressed in discussions and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussion
Ages 10 to 11Method - Adapting Speech to Context
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation while adjusting tone, vocabulary, and style for…
Ages 10 to 11Method - Multimedia Presentations
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes
Ages 10 to 11Method - Building on Others in Discussions
Pose and respond to specific questions in discussions, making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others
Ages 10 to 11Method
Starts at age 11 // 2 topics
Starting at age 11
- Performing Scripts & Poetry
Improvise, rehearse, and perform play scripts and poetry — using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness, and action to generate language…
Ages 11 to 14Method - Speaking Formally and Giving Presentations
Use Standard English confidently in formal and informal spoken contexts — give short speeches and presentations expressing own ideas clearly, keeping to the…
Ages 11 to 14Method
Starts at age 12 // 1 topic
Starting at age 12
- Formal Debates
Participate in formal debates and structured discussions — presenting a position with supporting evidence, responding to others’ points, summarising and…
Ages 12 to 14Method