Speaking & Listening

Conversations, presentations and listening well — 21 skills across 10 years. Every skill below shows what it builds on and how to tell your child has it.

English21 skillsages 4–14

Grouped by the age children typically start each skill. Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace.

Around age 4

Asking Questionsages 4–11 Describing Aloudages 4–8AC ✓ Exploring Ideas Through Talkages 4–6AC ✓ Expressing & Justifying Opinionsages 4–6AC ✓ Group discussionsages 4–11AC ✓ Listening and respondingages 4–11AC ✓

Around age 6

Reciting Poetryages 6–10AC ✓

Around age 7

Engaging Listeners and Valuing Viewpointsages 7–8AC ✓

Around age 8

Preparing for and Explaining in Discussionsages 8–11AC ✓ Reporting & Recountingages 8–11AC ✓

Around age 9

Identifying Reasons Behind a Speaker's Pointsages 9–10AC ✓ Paraphrasing What You Hearages 9–10AC ✓

Around age 10

Adapting Speech to Contextages 10–11AC ✓ Building on Others in Discussionsages 10–11AC ✓ Drawing Conclusions from Discussionages 10–11AC ✓ Evaluating a Speaker's Argumentages 10–11AC ✓ Multimedia Presentationsages 10–11 Summarising Spoken and Media Presentationsages 10–11AC ✓

Around age 11

Performing Scripts & Poetryages 11–14AC ✓ Speaking Formally and Giving Presentationsages 11–14AC ✓

Around age 12

Formal Debatesages 12–14

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