← Listening, vocabulary and oral language collection
Small-group printable · Activity 5 of 10Describe a position precisely
Give and follow an unambiguous position instruction.
Print and teach
A4 PDF · 2 pages · learner page + separate adult notes and answers.
Suggested Reception-Year 3. Choose by current skill. Allow talk, pointing, drawing, writing or usual communication tools.
This is not a controlled decodable text. An adult can read the material aloud; record that support when reviewing responses.
Activity
Each partner draws a 2 by 2 grid. Label top-left A, top-right B, bottom-left C, bottom-right D. Use a coin or drawn dot. Adult checks the labels before beginning.
- Speaker says one location without pointing. Listener places the dot.
- Use a relation: move the dot from A to the square below A.
- Swap roles. Give an instruction with two location clues, then check.
Model it
Top is not enough because there are two top squares. Top row, right square identifies B.
Delivery steps
- Introduce the words using real objects, examples or an accessible demonstration.
- Model a short speaker-listener exchange. Let partners rehearse with the task visible.
- Give each learner a fresh turn; the listener checks meaning and the speaker repairs the message if needed.
Answers and acceptable responses - for the adult
- Any clearly stated A, B, C or D position is valid.
- Below A is C. Below B is D; right of C is D.
- Example: Put it in the top row, to the right of A = B. Keep left/right from the shared page orientation.
Support
Reduce the number of objects or choices. Allow extra processing time and usual communication tools. Adult may scribe or offer a starter; do not insist on eye contact or a spoken response.
Extend and transfer
Apply the same language move to a current classroom task with a new partner or new objects. Fade the starter only when it remains helpful to do so.
Look for progress
Record what the learner understood and what message they produced separately. Note the exact cue or visual support used; revisit with a new example.
If an instruction breaks down, reduce the language load and demonstrate its meaning, then retry a fresh example. Revisit a word through examples and non-examples. Separate difficulty understanding a message from difficulty producing speech.