Grade 3 · English Language Arts · Unit 1 of 12
Speaking & Listening
Eye contact, posture, gestures and movements.
What your child practises
How a speaker's eyes, posture, gestures and movements help communicate, and what good listening looks like. Some families show respect in other ways, such as looking down, and the questions note this.
Nova Scotia Curriculum learning outcome: A1 · speaking and listening with others
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Why is it respectful to look at a speaker in many classrooms?
👁️- it shows you are paying attention
- it keeps them quiet
- it means you agree
- it is always a rule everywhere
it shows you are paying attention
Hint: In some cultures and families, other ways of showing respect are used too, such as looking down. We can respect both.
Question 2
Your friend finished a talk. Which is a kind comment?
👏- I liked how you showed the size with your hands.
- I wasn't listening.
- You talked too much.
- That was boring.
I liked how you showed the size with your hands.
Hint: Kind comments say something specific and helpful.
Question 3
A listener nods and says “I see.” What does this show?
🙂- they are following what you say
- they are bored
- they are leaving
- they want you to stop
they are following what you say
Hint: Small signals show a listener is paying attention.
Question 4
When you give a talk, where should you look?
👀- at the floor the whole time
- at your audience
- at your shoes
- at the ceiling
at your audience
Hint: Eye contact shows you are talking to your listeners.
Question 5
Does the action help or get in the way of listening? Tap an item, then tap its basket.
Sort into: 👂 good listening · 🙉 hard to listen
- ✋waiting for your turn
- 🥁tapping loudly on your desk
- 🧘sitting still
- 👀looking at the speaker
- 🗯️talking at the same time
- 🪟looking out the window
👂 good listening: waiting for your turn, sitting still, looking at the speaker · 🙉 hard to listen: tapping loudly on your desk, talking at the same time, looking out the window
Hint: Good listeners look at the speaker, stay still and think about what they hear.
Question 6
A good speaker speaks in a voice that is…
📣- so loud it hurts
- too quiet to hear
- full of giggles
- loud enough for everyone to hear
loud enough for everyone to hear
Hint: Match your voice to the room.