You will learn
- Listen for who, what, where, when and why.
- Pick out important details.
- Tell important from unimportant details.
- Remember details in order.
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
- Use the question words: who, what, where, when, why.
- Important details answer these questions.
- Some details are extra.
- Take quick notes or picture them in your mind.
Words to know
a fact you need to understand the message
a word that carries the meaning
words that tell you what to do
the sequence in which things happen
1. Discover: The school trip notice
Ms. Bello announces: On Friday, Class 3 will visit the science museum in Ibadan. The bus leaves at eight in the morning. Bring a packed lunch and a water bottle. Wear your school cap. The museum has a lovely cafe, and the gift shop is blue.
Think: What must you remember to do?
2. Understand: Listening for key details
Idea 1: Question words
Ask who, what, where, when and why. The answers are the important details.
Idea 2: Key words
Listen for key words such as Friday, eight in the morning, packed lunch. These carry the meaning.
Idea 3: Extra details
Some facts are not needed to follow the instructions. The blue gift shop does not change what you must bring.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): When
When does the bus leave?
- Listen for a time.
Answer: at eight in the morning
Example 2 (We do it together): What to bring
What must students bring?
- Listen for instructions.
Answer: a packed lunch and a water bottle
Example 3 (You try): Extra detail
Which detail is not needed for the trip?
Show the steps and answer
- Which one changes nothing?
Answer: the gift shop is blue
Did you know?
Pilots and nurses repeat important details back to make sure they heard them correctly.
Why this matters
Catching important details keeps you safe and helps you follow instructions.
4. Explore: Detail catcher
Listen and note the details.
- Ask someone to give you three instructions.
- Listen once.
- Say who, what, where, when.
- Repeat the instructions in order.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can listen for key details.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The event is ___.
- It happens on ___ at ___.
- We must bring ___.
- An extra detail is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. A fact you need to understand the message is an ___ ___.
important detail
Question 2. Words that tell you what to do are an ___.
instruction
Question 3. The sequence of events is the ___.
order
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A fact you need to understand the message is an ___ ___.
- Words that tell you what to do are an ___.
- The sequence of events is the ___.
- A word that carries the meaning is a ___ word.
- The class visits the science ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Where is the museum?
- What day is the trip?
- What should students wear?
Level 3: Stretch
- Is the time an important detail?
- Is the gift shop colour important?
- Can question words help?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Ask a family member for three instructions and repeat them in order.
Show a sample answer
three instructions
Another one. Ask someone to read an announcement and write the when, where and what to bring.
Show a sample answer
a completed task
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can listen for who, what, where, when and why.
- I can pick out important details.
- I can tell important from unimportant details.
- I can remember details in order.
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
- Use the question words: who, what, where, when, why.
- Important details answer these questions.
- Some details are extra.
- Take quick notes or picture them in your mind.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Asking clarifying questions. 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.
- Name the five question words used to find details. [5 marks]
- What is an important detail? [1 mark]
- List two things students must bring. [2 marks]
- Name one detail that is not needed. [1 mark]
- Explain how to listen for important details. [3 marks]
Total: 12 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- who [1]; what [1]; where [1]; when [1]; why [1]
- a fact you need to understand the message [1]
- packed lunch [1]; water bottle [1]
- the gift shop is blue or the cafe is lovely [1]
- use question words [1]; listen for key words [1]; ignore extra facts [1]
Score guide: 11 to 12 = secure. 8 to 10 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 8 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- A fact you need to understand the message is an ___ ___.
- Words that tell you what to do are an ___.
- The sequence of events is the ___.
- A word that carries the meaning is a ___ word.
- The class visits the science ___.
- Where is the museum?
- What day is the trip?
- What should students wear?
- Is the time an important detail?
- Is the gift shop colour important?
Homework
Ask someone to read an announcement and write the when, where and what to bring.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A fact you need to understand the message is an ___ ___. | important detail | 1 |
| 2. Words that tell you what to do are an ___. | instruction | 1 |
| 3. The sequence of events is the ___. | order | 1 |
| 4. A word that carries the meaning is a ___ word. | key | 1 |
| 5. The class visits the science ___. | museum | 1 |
| 6. Where is the museum? | Ibadan | 1 |
| 7. What day is the trip? | Friday | 1 |
| 8. What should students wear? | a school cap | 1 |
| 9. Is the time an important detail? | yes | 1 |
| 10. Is the gift shop colour important? | no | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 important detail; 2 instruction; 3 order; 4 key; 5 museum. Level 2: 1 Ibadan; 2 Friday; 3 a school cap. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 no; 3 yes.
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 for who, what, where, when and why | 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 Pick out important details | 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 important from unimportant details | 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 Remember details in order | 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: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
- 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 a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Listen while your child explains the idea.
- Ask for one new example.
- Praise effort and careful work.
- 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 for who, what, where, when and why; pick out important details; tell important from unimportant details; remember details in order.
Prerequisite knowledge. Listening for main ideas.
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). Introduce the idea with the opening example.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.
Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?
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 the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 12-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. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. 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 3 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.3.2 and SL.3.3 (ask and answer questions about information from a speaker); Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (listening). These sources informed the lesson.