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Building on What Someone Said

A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on the rules of a discussion and on responding to the person who spoke before you.

Building on What Someone Said is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard SL.1.1 — follow the rules for discussion and build on what others say. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
SL.1.1

Grade 1 · Speaking & Listening

SL.1.1

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Objective

Students will be able to follow four discussion rules and add a comment that starts by linking to what the previous speaker said.

Students are successful when they can

  • Waits for the speaker to finish and looks at them while they talk.
  • Starts a comment with a linking phrase: "I agree with Sara because..." or "I want to add to what Ben said..."
  • Adds something new after the linking phrase, rather than repeating what was said.

What you need

  • A poster of four discussion rules and three linking phrases (wording in the Warm-up and Teach)
  • A talking object, such as a beanbag, for each group of four
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — four rules

5 min
  1. Show the poster: 1. Look at the speaker. 2. One person talks at a time. 3. Wait until they finish. 4. Stay on the topic.
  2. Act out breaking each rule with a volunteer: you talk over them, look away, change the subject to your lunch. The class shouts "Stop!" and names the broken rule.
  3. Ask: "Why do we need rule 4?" Fish for "So we are all talking about the same thing."

Teach — the phrase before the idea

13 min
  1. Ask a question: "Should our class have a pet?" Ask a confident child to answer. Suppose they say: "Yes, because we could look after it."
  2. Model a reply that does not link: "I like soccer." Ask the class: "Did that answer the question? Did it join on to what was said?" No.
  3. Model a reply that links: "I agree with Maya because looking after a pet would teach us to be kind. We could take turns feeding it." Point to the two parts: the linking phrase, then the new idea.
  4. Add the three linking phrases to the poster: "I agree with ___ because...", "I want to add to what ___ said...", "I think something different from ___ because..."
  5. Model the third: "I think something different from Maya, because a pet would be lonely on the weekend." Say: "You can disagree and still be kind — say the name and give a reason."
  6. Run a short chain with three children and the beanbag. Each one must use a linking phrase. Stop after each and ask the class: "What did they add that was new?"
“Before you share your idea, say whose idea you are joining on to. Say their name, then say what you add.”

Guided practice — chain of four

12 min
  1. Groups of four sit in a circle with a beanbag. The question: "What is the best thing to do on a rainy day?"
  2. The first child answers. The beanbag passes on. Each next speaker must use a linking phrase and add one new thing.
  3. After four turns, start a new round with the next child starting.
  4. Circulate and listen for the link. If a child just says their own idea, prompt: "Who are you joining on to?"
  5. Stop the class once to share a great link: "I want to add to what Leo said — we could build a den AND read in it."
“Hold the beanbag, look at the last speaker, and say their name first.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the discussion page: finishing sentence starters for good discussion moves and writing a reply that builds on what was said.
  2. Read each starter aloud with the class first.
  3. Sit with children who wrote replies that ignore the first speaker and talk through the link with them.

Close

2 min
  1. Say: "Someone said the story was sad." Ask for a reply that links and adds.
  2. Fish for: "I agree it was sad, because the dog got lost — but it was happy at the end."

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Says the linking phrase and then repeats the same idea: "I agree with Maya because we could look after it."

Why: They have learned the phrase as the goal and think saying it is enough. Repeating feels like agreeing.

Fix: After the phrase, ask "What will you add that Maya did not say?" Praise the new part more than the phrase.

Waits for a turn and then says what they planned, ignoring what was just said.

Why: Young children plan their idea while others talk, so they are not listening. Their idea feels urgent.

Fix: Make them repeat the last speaker's idea in a few words before adding theirs: "Leo said build a den. I want to add..." Repeating forces listening.

Disagrees by saying "No, that is wrong" and stops.

Why: They know only one way to disagree, and it is the way that ends the conversation.

Fix: Teach the "I think something different from ___ because..." phrase and practice it on silly questions ("Is ice cream better than pizza?") where disagreeing is safe.

If they are not there yet

  • Use one linking phrase only, "I agree with ___ because...", until it is secure.
  • Give a picture card for the topic so the child has something to talk about.
  • Let the child repeat the last speaker's idea first, then add one word.

If they finish early

  • Link to someone who spoke two turns ago, not just the last speaker.
  • Ask a question that builds on what was said: "Why do you think that, Maya?"
  • Be the group's listener: after four turns, sum up what everyone said in one sentence.

Exit ticket

Your partner says, "I think the story was sad." Write or say a reply that starts with a linking phrase and adds something new.

What to look for: A phrase plus a new idea: "I agree, because the dog got lost, but it ended happily." A phrase with only a repeat means they need the "what will you add?" prompt. A reply with no link to sadness means they need to say back what was said first.

Printable practice for SL.1.1

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Building on What Someone Said

How long does the Building on What Someone Said lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Building on What Someone Said teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1 — SL.1.1, Speaking & Listening for Grade 1: “Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.” In plain terms, follow the rules for discussion and build on what others say.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

A poster of four discussion rules and three linking phrases (wording in the Warm-up and Teach), a talking object, such as a beanbag, for each group of four and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: says the linking phrase and then repeats the same idea: "I agree with Maya because we could look after it."; waits for a turn and then says what they planned, ignoring what was just said and disagrees by saying "No, that is wrong" and stops. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Your partner says, "I think the story was sad." Write or say a reply that starts with a linking phrase and adds something new.” A phrase plus a new idea: "I agree, because the dog got lost, but it ended happily." A phrase with only a repeat means they need the "what will you add?" prompt. A reply with no link to sadness means they need to say back what was said first. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Building on What Someone Said?

Yes — 1 printable SL.1.1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Building on What Someone Said free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to SL.1.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.