Speaking
EYFSCL-R-D002
The ability to communicate ideas, explanations and feelings through spoken language, using recently introduced vocabulary, full sentences and age-appropriate grammatical structures including tense and conjunctions.
National Curriculum context
Speaking is Early Learning Goal 2 within the Communication and Language Prime Area. At the end of Reception, children are expected to participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas using recently introduced vocabulary. They should be able to offer explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently introduced vocabulary from stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems when appropriate. They should express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using full sentences, including use of past, present and future tenses and making use of conjunctions, with modelling and support from their teacher. This ELG goes beyond basic expressive language: it requires children to use vocabulary purposefully, construct grammatically structured sentences across tenses, and provide causal reasoning. Strong Speaking attainment at EYFS is the most powerful predictor of KS1 English and literacy outcomes.
3
Concepts
1
Clusters
2
Prerequisites
3
With difficulty levels
Lesson Clusters
Practice: Vocabulary in Context, Causal Explanation in Speech, Tense Use in Speech
practicePrerequisites
Concepts from other domains that pupils should know before this domain.
Domain Vocabulary
32 terms across 3 concepts (32 domain-specific)(1 shared)
because
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cause
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describe
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did
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explain
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Shared by 2 concepts
future
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going
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happen
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if
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is
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meaning
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might
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new
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past
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present
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reason
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remember
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say
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so
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talk
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then
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think
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today
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tomorrow
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use
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vocabulary
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was
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went
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why
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will
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word
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yesterday
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Concepts (3)
Vocabulary in Context
skill AI FacilitatedCL-R-C004
The ability to use recently introduced vocabulary accurately and appropriately when contributing to discussion or explanation. This goes beyond knowing a word's definition: it requires deploying the word in a semantically appropriate context, with appropriate syntax, in spoken language. Vocabulary in context at EYFS is the foundational stage of word learning — children acquire new words through exposure in meaningful contexts and consolidate them through active use.
Teaching guidance
Plan deliberate vocabulary teaching in every topic: select 5-10 Tier 2 and Tier 3 words per fortnight and create multiple exposure opportunities across the week (story, discussion, role play, non-fiction). Use the word, explain the word, use the word again, ask children to use it — never teach vocabulary through definition alone. Create vocabulary displays and refer to them during discussion. Celebrate children's voluntary use of new vocabulary.
Vocabulary (10 terms)
Common misconceptions
Adults sometimes assess vocabulary knowledge by asking children to define words rather than use them in context. Definitional knowledge is much weaker than productive vocabulary knowledge — the ELG target is use in context, not recitation of definitions.
Difficulty levels
Beginning to use some recently introduced vocabulary in familiar contexts, though not always accurately.
Example task
After learning the word 'enormous' during a story, observe if the child uses it during play.
Model response: During block play, the child says: 'Look at my enormous tower!' — using the new word in an appropriate context.
Sometimes using new vocabulary learned in stories and teaching to describe, explain or comment, with generally appropriate meaning.
Example task
After a topic on minibeasts, ask the child to tell you about a caterpillar using words they have learned.
Model response: The child says: 'Caterpillars have lots of legs. They eat leaves and then they go in a cocoon and turn into a butterfly. It's called a chrysalis.'
Using new vocabulary throughout the day in different contexts, demonstrating understanding of the word's meaning and using it accurately and appropriately.
Example task
Observe whether the child uses vocabulary from the week's learning in contexts beyond the taught activity.
Model response: Having learned 'hibernate' during a topic on animals, the child says at home time: 'I'm so tired, I want to hibernate like a bear!' — transferring the word to a new, creative context that shows genuine understanding.
Delivery rationale
EYFS concept for 4-5 year olds — AI can deliver structured activities via voice/touch but adult facilitates physical tasks and monitors engagement.
Causal Explanation in Speech
skill AI FacilitatedCL-R-C005
The ability to offer verbal explanations for why events occur or why characters behave as they do, using causal connectives such as 'because', 'so', 'if', 'therefore' and 'that's why'. Causal explanation requires the child to identify a cause-and-effect relationship and encode it in language. This is the spoken foundation for the written extended writing expected in KS1 and KS2, and also underpins scientific reasoning, mathematical justification and historical explanation.
Teaching guidance
Model causal language continuously across all subjects: 'The ice melted because the room is warm.' 'The character was sad because his friend left.' Provide causal sentence frames: 'I think __ happened because __', 'The reason for __ is __'. Use 'why?' questions as a daily practice. Accept and develop partially formed causal explanations rather than only accepting fully formed ones. Value the thinking behind an explanation even when the language is not yet complete.
Vocabulary (11 terms)
Common misconceptions
Children often describe events sequentially ('and then... and then...') without encoding causal relationships. The shift from temporal connectives ('and then', 'next') to causal connectives ('because', 'so') is a key developmental step that requires explicit teaching.
Difficulty levels
Beginning to use 'because' in speech, though the reason given may be circular or not logically connected.
Example task
Ask the child: 'Why did the caterpillar eat so much?'
Model response: The child says: 'Because he was hungry' — a valid but simple cause. Or 'Because he eated lots' — circular, restating the effect as the cause.
Sometimes giving explanations using 'because', 'so' or 'if...then' with logical connections, especially for familiar situations.
Example task
Ask the child: 'Why do we need to wear coats today?'
Model response: 'Because it's raining outside so we'll get wet if we don't wear them.' — a chain of cause and effect.
Offering explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently learned vocabulary and connecting cause and effect clearly in speech.
Example task
After planting seeds, ask: 'What do you think will happen to the seeds? Why?'
Model response: 'I think the seeds will grow into plants because we put them in soil and gave them water. Plants need water and light to grow. If we put them in the dark cupboard they wouldn't grow because there's no light.'
Delivery rationale
EYFS concept for 4-5 year olds — AI can deliver structured activities via voice/touch but adult facilitates physical tasks and monitors engagement.
Tense Use in Speech
skill AI FacilitatedCL-R-C006
The ability to use past, present and future tenses accurately and appropriately in spoken language to locate events in time. At EYFS, this includes: past simple and past progressive ('I went', 'I was running'), present simple and present progressive ('I go', 'I am running'), and future forms ('I will go', 'I am going to go'). Correct tense use in speech is the direct precursor to correct tense use in writing, which is a core Year 1 grammar expectation.
Teaching guidance
Use sentence-level talk activities that require specific tenses: 'Tell me what you did at the weekend' (past); 'What are you doing right now?' (present); 'What will you do at playtime?' (future). Recast incorrect tense use naturally without over-correcting: child says 'I goed to the park' → adult responds 'Oh, you went to the park — that sounds fun!'. Provide three-tense frames as a scaffold: Yesterday I... Today I am... Tomorrow I will...
Vocabulary (12 terms)
Common misconceptions
Children typically acquire present tense first, then past, then future. Overgeneralisation errors ('I goed', 'I runned', 'I singed') are a normal stage of development indicating that the child has acquired the regular past tense rule but not yet learnt the irregular forms. These are positive signs of grammatical development, not errors requiring correction.
Difficulty levels
Beginning to use past tense in speech, though often with overgeneralised forms ('I goed', 'I runned') which show understanding of the tense concept.
Example task
Ask the child: 'What did you do at the weekend?'
Model response: 'I goed to the park and I runned really fast.' — overgeneralised past tense, but correctly placing events in the past.
Sometimes using past, present and future tenses correctly, with common irregular forms becoming more accurate.
Example task
Ask: 'Tell me about yesterday, today and tomorrow.'
Model response: 'Yesterday I went to Grandma's house. Today I am at school. Tomorrow I'm going to play at Tom's house.' — uses went (correct irregular), am (present), going to (future).
Using past, present and future forms accurately and appropriately in extended speech, including irregular past tenses and progressive forms.
Example task
During show-and-tell, observe the child's tense use when describing a recent experience.
Model response: 'At the weekend, I went to the beach with my family. We were swimming in the sea and I saw a crab! It was hiding under a rock. Next weekend, we're going again and I'm going to look for more crabs.' — accurate past simple, past progressive, and future forms.
Delivery rationale
EYFS concept for 4-5 year olds — AI can deliver structured activities via voice/touch but adult facilitates physical tasks and monitors engagement.