Speaking So People Can Hear You
A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on speaking audibly and in whole sentences, so that an idea survives the journey to a listener.
Speaking So People Can Hear You is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard SL.K.6 — speak loudly and clearly enough to be understood. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten
- Length:
- 30 minutes
- Standard:
- SL.K.6
Kindergarten · Speaking & Listening
SL.K.6
Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
Objective
Students will be able to say a whole sentence loudly enough for the back of the room to hear.
Students are successful when they can
- Is audible from the far side of the room.
- Answers in a whole sentence.
- Faces the listener.
What you need
- A listener stationed at the far end of the room
- Sentence starter cards
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — can Miss hear you?
4 min- Station an adult at the far wall. Children take turns saying their name.
- The adult says 'heard' or 'not heard'. No judgement, just information.
Teach — a whole sentence, out loud
9 min- Ask a child what they had for breakfast. Accept the one-word answer.
- Then model the whole-sentence version and say why it is better: it works even if the listener did not hear the question.
- Do three more, converting each one-word answer into a sentence together.
- Then do it at volume, with the far-wall listener confirming.
- Name both parts: loud enough, and a whole sentence.
“If somebody walked in halfway through, would your answer still make sense on its own?”
Guided practice — the far wall test
9 min- Pairs stand at opposite ends of the room and hold a short conversation.
- Each turn has to be a whole sentence and has to be heard.
- Swap ends and repeat.
Independent practice
6 min- Students complete the whole-sentence page.
- Have them read each completed sentence aloud to a partner.
Close
2 min- One child answers a question in a whole sentence for the whole class.
- Ask the far corner whether they heard it.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Answers in one word.
Why: It answers the question, and in conversation it is normal.
Fix: Use the walked-in-halfway test. A one-word answer fails it audibly.
Speaks loudly but faces the floor.
Why: Volume has been asked for and direction has not.
Fix: Put the listener at the far wall and require eye contact with them. The direction becomes the point.
Shouts rather than projects.
Why: Louder has been asked for, and shouting is the available way to be louder.
Fix: Model the difference. Shouting is strained; projecting is not. Have them try both and notice which is comfortable.
If they are not there yet
- Practise with the listener halfway rather than at the far wall.
- Give the sentence to say, so only the volume is new.
If they finish early
- Say a two-sentence answer.
- Speak to the class rather than to one listener.
- Say the same sentence with two different feelings.
Exit ticket
Answer this in a whole sentence, loudly enough for the back: what did you do at playtime?
What to look for: Both conditions at once. Loud but one word, or a sentence nobody heard, each only meet half the objective.
Printable practice for SL.K.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Answer in a Whole SentenceFinish each sentence.
Questions about Speaking So People Can Hear You
How long does the Speaking So People Can Hear You lesson take?
30 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 4 min, teach 9 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 6 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Speaking So People Can Hear You teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.6 — SL.K.6, Speaking & Listening for Kindergarten: “Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.” In plain terms, speak loudly and clearly enough to be understood.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A listener stationed at the far end of the room, sentence starter cards and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: answers in one word; speaks loudly but faces the floor and shouts rather than projects. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Answer this in a whole sentence, loudly enough for the back: what did you do at playtime?.” Both conditions at once. Loud but one word, or a sentence nobody heard, each only meet half the objective. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Speaking So People Can Hear You?
Yes — 1 printable SL.K.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Speaking So People Can Hear You free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to SL.K.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.