You will learn
- Listen to a story without interrupting.
- Tell who and what the story was about.
- Tell something they liked.
- Ask a question about the story.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Sit quietly and listen.
- Picture the story in your mind.
- Tell what happened.
- Ask and answer questions.
Words to know
a tale of what happens
hear with care
see in your mind
liked best
1. Discover: Story time
It is story time. The teacher reads a story about a small bird who finds a lost egg. The children sit quietly. They close their eyes and picture the bird. After the story, Ama says, “My favourite part was when the egg hatched!”
Think: What was your favourite part of a story you heard?
2. Understand: Good listening to stories
Idea 1: Be ready
Sit comfortably, be quiet and look at the reader. Get your ears ready.
Idea 2: Picture it
Make a picture of the story in your mind: the people, the place, what happens.
Idea 3: Talk about it
After the story, tell what happened and what you liked. You can ask a question too.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Who?
Who found the egg?
- Think about the story.
- Say it.
Answer: the small bird
Example 2 (We do it together): What happened?
What happened to the egg?
- Listen for the end.
- Say it.
Answer: It hatched.
Example 3 (You try): Favourite part
What did Ama like best?
Show the steps and answer
- Think of what Ama said.
- Say it.
Answer: when the egg hatched
Did you know?
Reading stories aloud to children helps them learn new words and love books.
Why this matters
Listening to stories helps you learn new words and ideas and enjoy books.
4. Explore: Story picture
Draw the story.
- Listen to a story.
- Draw your favourite part.
- Tell a partner about it.
- Say why you liked it.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can show what you heard.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The story was about ___.
- My favourite part was ___.
- I liked it because ___.
- I wonder ___?
Guided practice
Question 1. Who found the egg?
the small bird
Question 2. What happened to the egg?
it hatched
Question 3. Favourite part?
when the egg hatched
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- We listen with our ___.
- We sit ___ when we listen.
- A story tells what ___.
- We picture the story in our ___.
- After a story we can tell our ___ part.
Level 2: Grow
- Tell one thing that happened in a story you heard.
- Ask a question about a story.
- Say why you liked a story.
Level 3: Stretch
- Write two sentences about a story you heard.
- Why is it good to listen to stories?
- Kofi talks while the story is read. Is that good listening?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Ask a family member to tell you a story and tell it back.
Show a sample answer
The story was about a fox and a hen.
Another one. Listen to a story and draw your favourite part.
Show a sample answer
A drawing of a bird and an egg.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Listen first.
Fix: Make a picture in your mind.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can listen to a whole story.
- I can say who and what.
- I can say what I liked.
- I can ask a question.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Sit quietly and listen.
- Picture the story.
- Tell what happened.
- Say what you liked.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Traditional tales. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What do we do to be a good listener? [2 marks]
- Who found the egg in the story? [1 mark]
- What did Ama like best? [1 mark]
- Ask a question about a story. [1 mark]
- Explain why listening to stories is good. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- sit quietly [1]; listen carefully [1]
- the small bird [1]
- when the egg hatched [1]
- a story question [1]
- we learn new words [1]; we learn ideas [1]; it is enjoyable [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- We listen with our ___.
- We sit ___ when we listen.
- We ___ the story in our mind.
- Who found the egg?
- What happened to the egg?
- What did Ama like best?
- True or false: we talk during the story.
- True or false: we can ask questions after.
- Draw your favourite part of a story.
- Tell one thing you heard.
Homework
Listen to a story with a family member and tell your favourite part.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. We listen with our ___. | ears | 1 |
| 2. We sit ___ when we listen. | quietly | 1 |
| 3. We ___ the story in our mind. | picture | 1 |
| 4. Who found the egg? | the small bird | 1 |
| 5. What happened to the egg? | it hatched | 1 |
| 6. What did Ama like best? | when the egg hatched | 1 |
| 7. True or false: we talk during the story. | false | 1 |
| 8. True or false: we can ask questions after. | true | 1 |
| 9. Draw your favourite part of a story. | a suitable drawing | 1 |
| 10. Tell one thing you heard. | a valid sentence | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 ears; 2 quietly; 3 happens; 4 mind; 5 favourite. Level 2: 1 a valid answer; 2 a valid question; 3 a valid reason. Level 3: 1 two sentences; 2 we learn and enjoy; 3 no, we should be quiet.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Listen to a story without interrupting | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Tell who and what the story was about | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Tell something they liked | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Ask a question about the story | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Talking during the story. Listen first.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use a short story with pictures.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child practises listening to stories and talking about them. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Read aloud every day.
- Ask what they liked.
- Let them ask questions.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: listen to a story without interrupting; tell who and what the story was about; tell something they liked; ask a question about the story.
Prerequisite knowledge. Revising simple sentences.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Read a short story aloud.
Explanation (10 min). Teach good listening.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise story picture.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share their favourite parts.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What happened? What did you like? What do you wonder?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures and a short story. Extension. Retell the story to a friend.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Talking during the story. Listen first.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use a short story with pictures. Enrichment. Tell the story to someone else. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Reading: Literature. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.1.2 (ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud) and RL.1.10; IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade; Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (listening and reading). These sources informed the lesson.