Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 2, Speaking & Listening · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What SL.2.4 Means in Plain English
Second graders tell a story or share something that really happened, like a trip to the bowling alley, with the facts a listener needs (who, where, when) and a few vivid details. They speak loudly enough to be heard, in whole sentences that follow each other in order.
First graders (SL.1.4) described people, places and events with relevant details. Second grade asks for a whole telling that hangs together, without “and then, and then” chains or side trips. Third grade (SL.3.4) adds reporting on a topic and speaking at an understandable pace.
SL.2.4 I Can Statements
I can tell who, where and when at the start.
I can add details that help my listeners picture it.
I can speak in clear sentences loud enough for everyone.
SL.2.4 Worked Example
One Monday sharing turn about a bowling trip, told twice, and the second could be followed by someone who wasn’t there.
Prompt
Monday sharing: Tell the class about something that happened to you this weekend. Stand where everyone can see you.
Not Yet“So we went bowling and then my ball, um, it went in the gutter, and then my cousin’s birthday is next week and then we got nachos.” (Said quickly, facing the floor.)No who, where or when, a jumble of and-thens, and a side trip to the cousin’s birthday. Said to the floor, half the class missed it anyway.
Meets the Standard“On Sunday my cousin Yusuf and I went bowling at Starlight Lanes. My ball was bright green and so heavy that I had to roll it with both hands. It rolled so slowly down the lane that I thought it would stop, but it knocked down every single pin with a loud crash. Yusuf gave me a high five, and the screen above us flashed the word strike in giant letters.” (Said facing the class, loud enough for the back row.)When, where and who come first, then the events in order with details a listener can picture: the heavy green ball, the slow roll, the crash of the pins. It ends where the story ends, said clearly enough for the whole room.
Moves to Use
Start with when, where and who: “On Sunday, at Starlight Lanes…”Tell the events in order, in full sentences, not one long and-then.Add two details listeners can see, hear or feel.Stay on your story, and save side stories for another day.Face the class and use a voice the back row can hear.
Common Mistakes with SL.2.4
The and-then chain
One breathless sentence held together by eleven “and then”s
Try this: Have students tell the story to a partner using first, next and last, stopping after each to take a breath.
Missing the setup
“And then they all fell down!” before anyone knows what fell, where or when
Try this: Post a when, where and who card at the sharing spot, and have the speaker answer all three before the story starts.
Talking to the floor
A good story told in a whisper toward the speaker’s shoes
Try this: Seat one listener at the back of the room who gives a thumbs-up only when every word comes through clearly.
Classroom TimerFree ToolA two-minute sharing turn on the board, so speakers plan a beginning, middle and end instead of talking until someone stops them.2 minutesMonday sharing
Which sentence of the strong telling gives when, where and who?
The first one: “On Sunday my cousin Yusuf and I went bowling at Starlight Lanes.”
Name two descriptive details in the strong telling.
Any two of: the bright green ball, so heavy it took both hands, the slow roll down the lane, the loud crash of the pins, and the word strike in giant letters.
Why does the part about the cousin’s birthday weaken the first telling?
It is a side trip away from the bowling story, so the listener loses track of what happened at the lanes.