Speaking and Listening at Reception and Key Stage 1

3 Structuring Tasks Within A Curricular Context

3.4 Using task structures

The list of task structures below, adapted from Gavienas & Logue (2004), will help take students to the next stage in planning their own talking tasks.

Task structures

1. Add to/amend/remove/select items from a given list.
2. Group statement about something under given headings.
3. Categorise and devise headings for statements, objects and so on.
4. Prioritise statements, steps, procedures and so on.
5. Note pros/cons of given features of objects, items and so on (e.g. the safety, appeal, texture, colour of babies’ toys).
6. Sort statements into, e.g. agree/disagree/can’t decide or true/false.
7. Give precise criteria for children to adhere to, e.g. captions have no more than six words.
8. Compare two things under given headings.
9. Choose from options and justify choices.
10. Convert from one form to another, e.g. text to map, diagram to 3-D model, text to illustration.
11. Order items, procedures, events and so on according to given or agreed criteria.
12. Organise pictures, items, statements onto a continuum, e.g. most favourite - least favourite

Students should be given time to work in groups to restructure the following task using the list above.

If these are displayed on large sheets of paper students can identify which task structures have been used from the 1-12 above and compare the different ways tasks have been restructured.