Standard 1: Speaking and Listening

Students will speak and listen effectively in a variety of situations including, but not limited to, responses to reading and writing.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will complete simple tasks given to them verbally. 

• Teachers model completing simple tasks.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to practice completing verbal tasks.
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback when completing simple tasks.
• Teachers state a simple oral direction, then prompt the child to complete a step or command or even initiate the next step in a sequence and provide positive reinforcement along the way.

Supporting Resources

Teacher Insights 

Following Directions Games Webpage

• Language should be limited when presenting instructions. Students at this stage of development are not able to follow lengthy or elaborate directions.  Begin with one, then two-step directions and scaffold as needed.
• Students need clear and concise directions when given requests such as with the following:
• “Go get the pencil.”
• “Bring it here.”
• At the beginning of PreK, requests may need to have an intentional pause between steps. For example, allow students to go get the pencil before giving the command to bring it to you.  
• By the end of PreK, most students should be able to complete these simple steps with one command.

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.