National Curriculum statutory requirements for Years 1-6 

Pupils should be taught to:

• listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers

• ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge

• use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary

• articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions

• give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings

• maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments

• use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas

• speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English

• participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and

  debates

• gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)

• consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others

• select and use appropriate registers for effective communication.