Years 3 and 4 English · Key Stage 2 · Spoken language

Years 3 and 4 presentations, drama and debates: parent guide

In Years 3 and 4, children speak to bigger audiences and for more formal purposes: giving short presentations, performing in drama and role play, and taking part in simple debates. They are taught to speak clearly and smoothly, to keep listeners interested, to adapt their language to the occasion, and to begin noticing the difference between Standard English and non-standard English.

Presenting, performing and debating, explained

Speaking audibly and fluently, with an increasing command of Standard English, remains the aim, but the demands rise. Children are expected to speak at length without reading word for word from a page, to use pace and pause for effect, and to stress the important words. Teachers often suggest cue cards holding a few key words rather than a full script, since a child who reads out a script tends to lose both expression and eye contact.

Pupils begin to learn some differences between Standard English and non-standard English. These are differences of grammar and word choice, not accent. Common examples are “we were” and “we was”, “I did it” and “I done it”, “those books” and “them books”, and “I didn’t do anything” and “I didn’t do nothing”. The Year 4 grammar curriculum also includes Standard English verb forms, with “we were” for “we was” and “I did” for “I done” given as examples. They learn that Standard English is what people are expected to use in formal speech and writing, and that dialect and non-standard forms are part of everyday life for many families. The skill is to know which one fits the occasion.

The curriculum asks for children to take part in discussions, presentations, performances, role play and improvisation, and debates. Which of these a school uses, and when, is the school’s decision. Typical choices are class assemblies, reading a poem with expression, a talk about a project, interviewing a character in role (“hot-seating”), and a debate on a motion such as “This school should have a longer lunch break”. A simple class debate often has a speaker for, a speaker against, a chance to respond, and then a vote. Teachers often give children a side to argue whether or not they agree, which is good practice at seeing another point of view.

Good speakers gain, maintain and monitor their listeners’ interest. To gain it, children might open with a question, a surprising fact or a prop. To maintain it, they vary their voice, use gestures, scan the room and use a picture or object to support the words. To monitor it, they notice whether people are following (fidgeting, puzzled faces, no eye contact) and adapt by slowing down, repeating or giving an example. Peers and teachers then give feedback, usually something that worked and something to try next time.

Register means the level of formality of language, and children choose it to suit their audience and purpose. A talk to visitors or the head teacher needs a different tone from a chat in the playground, with fewer contractions, no slang and clear, full sentences. A talk to a Year 1 class needs something different again: simpler words and shorter sentences. Role play, such as playing a newsreader, a shopkeeper or a head teacher, lets children try out different registers safely. Nerves are normal, and teachers usually build confidence in stages, from a partner to a small group to the class.

Words your child will hear

Audience: The people who listen to or watch a talk or performance.
Fluent: Speaking smoothly, with a good pace, and without a lot of stopping and starting.
Standard English: The form of English expected in formal speech and writing. It is about grammar and word choice, not accent.
Register: How formal or informal your language is. It changes with the audience and the occasion.
Improvise: Make up words and actions on the spot, without a script.
Motion: The statement a debate is about, such as “This school should grow its own vegetables”.
Cue card: A small card with a few key words to remind a speaker what comes next.

What the National Curriculum says

In Years 3 and 4, pupils should be taught to:

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)
Select and use appropriate registers for effective communication

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: a one-minute talk for a class debate

The motion is “This school should grow its own vegetables.” A child has to speak for the motion. How could they prepare and give their talk?

Think about the audience and purpose. The listeners are classmates and the teacher, and the purpose is to persuade them, so the language should be fairly formal: “Good afternoon, everyone.”
Make a cue card with three key words, not a script: “tastes fresh”, “learn by doing”, “everyone helps”.
Open with something that gets attention: “Who here has tasted a carrot picked straight from the soil?”
Check the grammar. “Them carrots was massive” becomes “Those carrots were massive”, which is Standard English.
Pace and monitor. Pause after each point, look at different parts of the room, and if faces look puzzled, rephrase: “What I mean is, we would learn about plants by growing them.”
Respond to a counter-argument politely. A classmate says it would be muddy and take time. The speaker replies, “That is a fair point, but we could grow in pots and take turns.” Then finish clearly: “For these reasons, our school should grow its own vegetables. Thank you.”

“Good afternoon, everyone. Who here has tasted a carrot picked straight from the soil? Vegetables you grow yourself taste fresh, and you learn about plants by doing, not just reading. Everyone can help, from sowing seeds to watering. For these reasons, our school should grow its own vegetables. Thank you.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Reading from a full script is the safest way to sound fluent

A script feels like a safety net, but reading word for word leads to a flat voice and no eye contact, and one lost line can cause panic.

What helps: Practise from a few key words. Say the talk aloud several times, and it will sound a little different each time, which is fine.

Formal speaking means long words and a special voice

Children copy what they think a formal voice sounds like, and the result can be stiff or unclear.

What helps: Formal means clear, polite, complete sentences, and not slang. Ask your child to tell you the same thing as if they were talking to a friend, and then to a head teacher, and compare.

Thinking that Standard English is the “correct” way to talk and everything else is wrong

Children hear “correct” in school and apply it to their family’s way of speaking, or to an accent.

What helps: Say that both ways are part of the language. Standard English is the form expected in formal situations, and an accent is not something that needs correcting. Choosing which to use is the skill.

Believing a debate is about winning, volume or personal remarks

Arguments with siblings and friends are about winning. A debate is different: it is about reasons.

What helps: Remind your child to argue against the idea, not the person. Practise taking a side you don’t agree with for a minute, which stretches their thinking.

How to help at home

A one-minute family pitch. Your child persuades the family about something, such as a pet, a day out or a film to watch. They get three cue words and no script. Family members listen, then ask one question.
Change the register. Ask your child to say the same message three ways: to a friend, to a grandparent and to a head teacher. Talk about what changed, such as the words, the speed and the greeting.
Say it another way. Play a light game of finding the Standard English version of a phrase such as “them shoes” or “I done it”. Keep it playful and never correct your child in front of others.
Hold a family debate. Pick a light motion, such as “Breakfast is the best meal of the day”. Toss a coin to choose sides, give each person 30 seconds, then swap sides and go again.
Perform for a soft-toy audience. Practise a poem or talk for a row of soft toys. Practise with expression, pauses and eye contact. Children are often more relaxed with a toy audience than a real one.

Builds on

Key Stage 1: Listening and joining in conversations
Key Stage 1: Explaining, describing and sharing ideas
Key Stage 1: Speaking clearly to an audience

Leads on to

Years 5 and 6: Active listening and discussion
Years 5 and 6: Arguing, hypothesising and evaluating
Years 5 and 6: Public speaking, performance and register