Years 5 and 6 English · Key Stage 2 · Spoken language

Years 5 and 6 public speaking, debate and register: a parent guide

In Years 5 and 6, spoken language moves beyond everyday chat towards talking with a purpose: giving a short presentation, taking part in a debate, performing a poem or playing a role. Children are taught to speak clearly and fluently, to use Standard English when the situation calls for it, to keep listeners interested and to choose the right level of formality for the audience.

Public speaking, performance and register, explained

The spoken language statements are statutory for every year from Year 1 to Year 6, and they are taught at a level that suits the age of the children. In the upper years the emphasis falls on public speaking, performance and debate. There is no separate written test for speaking, but it shapes everything else: a child who can say a well-built sentence aloud usually finds it easier to write one, and the confidence to speak up in a room of strangers carries into secondary school.

Speaking audibly means being heard at the back of the room without shouting. Speaking fluently means a steady, planned flow with deliberate pauses, rather than racing or trailing off. Children are also taught an increasing command of Standard English, the form of English used in most writing and in formal speech, such as a presentation or an interview. It is about grammar and word choice: “we were” rather than “we was”, “I did it” rather than “I done it”, “those books” rather than “them books”. Standard English is not an accent. A child can speak Standard English in a Geordie, Scouse or Yorkshire accent, and schools value the way families speak at home.

Children practise several kinds of spoken work: discussions, presentations to the class or the school, performances such as reciting a poem or acting a scene, role play and improvisation (making up what a character would say on the spot), and debates. In a debate they are given a side, prepare their points with reasons and evidence, listen carefully to the other team and respond to what was actually said, following agreed rules about taking turns.

Good speakers also think about their listeners. Teachers talk about gaining interest (an opening question, a surprising fact or a short story), maintaining it (changing pace and volume, using pauses, giving examples, signposting with phrases like “my second reason is”) and monitoring it. Monitoring means noticing puzzled faces or fidgeting and adjusting, perhaps by slowing down, explaining a word or adding an example.

The last strand is register, which means how formal or informal speech is. Children learn to choose language to suit the audience, purpose and setting, so that the way they explain a game to a friend differs from the way they ask the headteacher for a favour or welcome a visitor. Many schools practise this by asking children to say the same message in two registers and to explain what changed.

Words your child will hear

Standard English: The grammar and vocabulary used in most writing and in formal speech. It is about word choice and grammar, not accent.
Register: How formal or informal the language is, chosen to suit the audience and situation.
Audience: The people who are listening: classmates, the whole school, a visitor or a panel.
Intonation: The rise and fall of the voice, which helps show questions, excitement or emphasis.
Projection: Making the voice carry to the back of the room by breathing well and speaking clearly, not by shouting.
Improvise: Make up words and actions on the spot, as in role play, without a script.
Debate: A structured discussion where two sides give reasons for and against an idea, and respond to each other.

What the National Curriculum says

In Years 5 and 6, 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: turning a chat into a short formal talk

Your child must give a one-minute talk in assembly arguing that the playground needs a quiet reading corner. To a friend they say: “It’d be well good, cos loads of kids just wanna chill at break and it’s too loud.” How do they shape this for the school?

Decide who is listening and why. The audience is the whole school and the headteacher, and the purpose is to persuade. That calls for a clear, polite and confident register: not stiff, but with the slang removed.
Rewrite the key idea in Standard English for that register: “A reading corner would give pupils a calm place to relax at break time, because the main playground can be very noisy.”
Gain attention with a hook. Instead of starting with “Um, so, my talk is about…”, open with a question and then pause for a moment: “Have you ever wanted five quiet minutes at break time?”
Organise the talk into three signposted reasons: “First, it would give us a calm place. Another reason is that it would encourage more reading. Finally, it would cost very little.” Keep notes to a few key words on a card rather than a full script.
Deliver and monitor. Speak more slowly than in a chat, pause after the main point, and look at different parts of the room. If the front row looks puzzled, add an example: “Imagine trying to finish a chapter while a football game is going on beside you.”

A model opening: “Have you ever wanted five quiet minutes at break time? I believe we should build a reading corner in the playground. It would give pupils a calm place to relax, because the main playground can be very noisy.”

Common mistakes and how to help

“Standard English means talking posh or losing my accent”

It is easy to mix up accent (how words sound) with dialect (which words and grammar are used). Being corrected can feel like criticism of how the family speaks.

What helps: Say plainly that the accent stays. Standard English is a set of grammar and word choices that is useful in some situations, such as a talk or a formal letter, and a child can switch to it and back again.

Believing the most formal language is always best

Once children learn that formal speech is expected in a presentation, some overdo it and sound stiff or use long words they don’t quite understand.

What helps: Talk about matching the audience. A talk to younger children should be warm and simple; one to visitors can be more formal. The test is whether the listeners can follow and feel respected.

Writing out a script and reading it, or learning it word for word

Nerves make a full script feel safe. But reading aloud usually produces a flat voice, little eye contact and a panic if a line is forgotten.

What helps: Practise with a few key words on a card and say it aloud several times, in slightly different words each time. Knowing the ideas matters more than knowing the sentences.

Thinking a debate is won by being loudest or repeating the same point

Children see arguments on screens and in the playground where volume wins. In a debate, though, the skill is giving reasons and answering what the other side actually said.

What helps: Try “I see your point about the cost, but…” as a sentence starter. Praise a speaker who changes their view or admits a good counter-argument, as well as one who makes a strong case.

How to help at home

Two-minute talks at the table. Once a week, let your child pick a topic they know well, such as a hobby, a place or a pet, and talk for two minutes while the family listens. Finish by asking one real question, which shows them they have been heard.
Same message, different audience. Ask how they would invite a friend to a party, then a grandparent, then the headteacher to a school event. Listen together for what changes: word choice, politeness, length. It makes register concrete.
A friendly family debate. Pick a light motion such as “Cats make better pets than dogs”. Give each side one minute, then swap sides. The one rule is that each speaker must answer something the other person actually said.
Read aloud to someone. Ask your child to read a poem or a favourite page to a younger sibling or relative, changing voice for different characters. Performing for a real listener builds expression, pace and projection.
Give one kind, specific piece of feedback. After any talk, name one thing you could hear clearly and suggest one thing to try next time, such as slowing down or pausing after the main point. Specific praise helps more than “well done”.

Builds on

Years 3 and 4: Listening, questioning and group talk
Years 3 and 4: Explaining and justifying ideas
Years 3 and 4: Presenting, performing and debating

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Speeches, presentations and debates
Key Stage 3: Improvising and performing scripts and poetry