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Listening & responding

Year 4 · Speaking & listening

Separate what is known from what a message only suggests.

Choose a game

Take your time, try a game and collect stars.

Activities to try together away from the screen

Take it beyond the game

Use one example in a real piece of reading, writing or discussion.

  1. Choose an example and explain it to a partner who can listen and respond.
  2. Invite a relevant question, then clarify or develop the explanation.
  3. Agree on one useful improvement and try the example again.

Helping your child with listening & responding

The Year 4 focus

Year 4 listening practice asks children to preserve distinctions within a longer message. A speaker may contrast finished models with unfinished ones or separate an observation from an unproven explanation. The six saved messages contain details that matter to the response. Children can replay them without pressure, then identify the particular words that rule out a tempting but inaccurate summary.

Work through an example

Discuss the wet-path message. A wet surface is observed, while a leaking pipe is only one possible explanation. A response that announces a confirmed leak goes beyond what the speaker said. Ask the child to summarise both what is known and what still needs checking, then practise the same distinction in a real classroom explanation.

Use the skill beyond the screen

Listen again whenever necessary and identify the part of the message that changes the response. A readable alternative supports access and shared discussion. Extend the task through a real conversation in which the listener can ask for clarification, summarise what they understood and wait for another person’s reply. The game checks prepared message matches and does not record or assess a child’s voice.

Curriculum connection

Spoken-language requirements are shared across Years 1–6. These tasks prepare selected skills at a level intended for Year 4. Read the official English programme of study.

Questions families ask

What does the game check?

It checks a prepared response to a spoken message, with a text alternative. It does not record or automatically assess speech.

Is this a separate statutory Year 4 programme?

The National Curriculum groups reading and writing in Years 3 and 4. These Year 4 examples provide a practice progression within that shared programme; schools can sequence the content differently. Spoken-language requirements apply across Years 1–6.