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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 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.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.

Students are successful when they can

  • Waits until the speaker has finished.
  • Looks at whoever is speaking.
  • Says something connected to what was just said.

What you need

  • A talking object — a stone or a soft toy — that only the speaker holds
  • A photograph or object worth talking about
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — the wrong way

4 min
  1. Ask another adult to talk to you while you interrupt, look away and change the subject.
  2. Ask the class what went wrong. They will have a list.
  3. Write three rules from their list.

Teach — one voice at a time

9 min
  1. Introduce the talking object. Only the holder speaks.
  2. Start a conversation about the photograph. Pass the object four or five times.
  3. When somebody speaks without it, stop and hand it to them rather than telling them off.
  4. Model connecting: 'Sam said it was cold. I think so too, because of the coats.'
  5. Name the two jobs: wait, and connect.
“Your turn is not just when you talk. It is when you say something about what the last person said.”

Guided practice — pass it round

9 min
  1. Small groups have the conversation with their own object.
  2. The rule is that each speaker starts by saying the last person's name.
  3. Circulate for groups where one child holds the object for a long time.

Independent practice

6 min
  1. Students complete the conversation sentence page — the sentences they will need in the next discussion.
  2. This is preparation for talk, not a record of it.

Close

2 min
  1. Ask the class for the three rules from the warm-up.
  2. Keep them on the wall.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Waits silently but says something unrelated when their turn comes.

Why: They have been holding their own idea the whole time rather than listening, which is what waiting for a turn encourages.

Fix: Require the previous speaker's name at the start of every turn. It cannot be said without having listened.

Holds the object and does not let go.

Why: Having the floor is rare and valuable, and nothing has said how long a turn lasts.

Fix: Give a turn a length — one thing, then pass. Model a short turn yourself.

Talks only to the teacher rather than to the group.

Why: Most classroom talk is to the adult, so that is the shape they know.

Fix: Sit outside the circle. If you are not in it, they cannot address you.

If they are not there yet

  • Groups of three rather than six.
  • Give a sentence starter to hold: 'I think ___ because ___.'

If they finish early

  • Ask a question of the previous speaker rather than making a statement.
  • Run a group with no talking object and see whether the rules hold.
  • Give one child the job of noticing who has not spoken yet.

Exit ticket

What did the person before you say? Now say what you think about it.

What to look for: The first half is the objective. A child who cannot repeat the previous speaker was waiting rather than listening.

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.

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 photograph or object worth talking about 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 silently but says something unrelated when their turn comes; holds the object and does not let go and talks only to the teacher rather than to the group. 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: “What did the person before you say? Now say what you think about it.” The first half is the objective. A child who cannot repeat the previous speaker was waiting rather than listening. 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 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to SL.K.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.