Taking Turns in a Conversation
A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on the rules of a group conversation, taught by breaking them and letting the class notice.
Taking Turns in a Conversation is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard SL.K.1 — take turns talking and listening in a group conversation. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, 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.1
Kindergarten · Speaking & Listening
SL.K.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Objective
Students will be able to take a turn in a group conversation without interrupting, and say something that follows on from the last speaker.
Students are successful when they can
- Waits for the talking object before speaking.
- Looks at the person who is speaking.
- Links to the last speaker: "I think that too, because..." or "I have a different idea..."
What you need
- A talking object — a stone or a soft toy — that only the speaker holds
- A large photograph worth talking about, such as a dog wearing wellington boots in a puddle
- Talk cards: "I think...", "I agree with ___ because...", "I have a different idea..."
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — the wrong way
4 min- Arrange with a teaching assistant or a confident child beforehand. Start a conversation about weekends and both talk at once, louder and louder.
- Stop. Ask: "What went wrong?" Fish for "you both talked at the same time" and "we could not hear anybody."
- Do it again, but this time you talk while the other person looks out of the window. Ask: "What was wrong this time?" Fish for "she was not listening, she was not looking at you."
Teach — one voice at a time
9 min- Show the talking object. Say: "Only the person holding this talks. Everyone else listens and looks."
- Write three rules with pictures on the board: one voice (a single mouth), eyes on the speaker (eyes), add on (a plus sign).
- Show the photograph. Hold the object and say: "I think the dog is going for a walk in the rain." Pass it to a child.
- If the child says something unrelated ("I have a cat"), say: "That is interesting. Can you say something about the dog in the photo?" Read the talk cards aloud.
- Model adding on: take the object back and say, "I agree with Sami because the dog has boots on, so it must be wet outside."
- Model a different idea: "I have a different idea. I think the dog is going to splash in the puddle."
“When I hold this, I talk. When you hold it, I listen and look at you. When it comes to you, add on to what the last person said.”
Guided practice — pass it round
9 min- Groups of five sit in a circle with a talking object and a small copy of the photo.
- Each child holds the object and says one sentence about the photo, using a talk card if they want.
- Circulate. Praise looking at the speaker by name: "Ava turned her whole body to listen."
- On the second round, each child must start with "I agree with ___" or "I have a different idea." Listen for linking to the last speaker.
“Hold it, say it, pass it. Then look at the next person.”
Independent practice
6 min- Read each sentence starter on the sheet aloud: "I agree with you because...", "Can you say that again?", "My turn to..."
- Children finish each frame by choosing or drawing. The sheet is the plan for what they will say in the next group talk.
Close
2 min- Ask: "What are our three talk rules?" Fish for "one voice," "eyes on the speaker" and "add on."
- Ask one child to say who in their group was a good listener and how they could tell.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Waits for the object, then says something unconnected: "I went to the park."
Why: The child has learned the waiting rule but thinks a turn means saying anything at all, not responding to the others.
Fix: Give the talk cards and ask, "What did the last person say?" before their turn, so their sentence has something to join on to.
Holds the object and looks at the teacher, not the group.
Why: In class, talk usually goes to the teacher, so they have learned the teacher is the real listener.
Fix: Sit outside the circle or look away when a child speaks. Say: "Tell your group, not me."
Calls out "that's wrong!" while someone is talking.
Why: The child disagrees strongly and does not have words to disagree politely or a way to wait with the idea.
Fix: Teach "I have a different idea" as the way to disagree. Let them hold up a thumb to show "I have something to add" while waiting.
If they are not there yet
- Groups of three, so turns come round quickly.
- Give one sentence starter only: "I think..."
- Let the child show a picture card instead of speaking on the first round.
If they finish early
- Ask a question to the last speaker: "Why do you think that?"
- Lead the group: pass the object and invite quiet children by name.
- Keep a conversation going for three turns on one idea before changing topic.
Exit ticket
In your group, say one sentence about the photo that adds on to what the person before you said.
What to look for: "I agree with Ben because..." or "I have a different idea..." about the photo, said when holding the object. An unrelated sentence: the waiting rule is there, the add-on is not. Calling out: practice the thumb signal.
Printable practice for SL.K.1
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Taking Turns to TalkFinish each sentence.
Questions about Taking Turns in a Conversation
How long does the Taking Turns in a Conversation 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 Taking Turns in a Conversation teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1 — SL.K.1, Speaking & Listening for Kindergarten: “Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.” In plain terms, take turns talking and listening in a group conversation.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A talking object — a stone or a soft toy — that only the speaker holds, a large photograph worth talking about, such as a dog wearing wellington boots in a puddle, talk cards: "I think...", "I agree with ___ because...", "I have a different idea..." 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: waits for the object, then says something unconnected: "I went to the park."; holds the object and looks at the teacher, not the group and calls out "that's wrong!" while someone is talking. 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: “In your group, say one sentence about the photo that adds on to what the person before you said.” "I agree with Ben because..." or "I have a different idea..." about the photo, said when holding the object. An unrelated sentence: the waiting rule is there, the add-on is not. Calling out: practice the thumb signal. 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 Taking Turns in a Conversation?
Yes — 1 printable SL.K.1 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 Taking Turns in a Conversation 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 October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to SL.K.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.