STATUS: DRAFT for adult review only. Not published. Original material. Terms (Tutor, human tutor, safeguarding lead) are defined in parent-in-the-loop-design.md, section 1.
CEFR range covered: Pre-A1 to A2+ | Age band: 6-12 (tell the child's age band, not the exact age) | For: Tutor or the safeguarding lead to run, with an adult in the room as set in parent-in-the-loop-design.md, section 3 (Option A / Option B, to be chosen by the programme lead; this file does not restate the rule)
ADULT-ONLY NOTES. (1) Collect first name and age band only. Do not ask about family, home, school or address. (2) No recording unless the recording choice in
parent-in-the-loop-design.md, section 7 allows it and the parent has given separate recording consent. (3) Safeguarding: followchild-session-rules-and-escalation.md(the master file). If the child says "Pause please", seems unwell or upset: Path A (stop, tell the adult in the room). If the child says something about harm, fear or being unsafe, or an adult or older person asks for secrets, pictures or off-platform contact: Path B (end neutrally, do not repeat the child's words to the adult in the room, write the incident note, tell the safeguarding lead at once). Never ask leading questions. Never promise secrecy. Remember Tutor may miss distress; the adult in the room is the first line. No medical, legal or counselling advice. (4) This check is indicative only, not an official CEFR test.
You need: the Picture Sheet (6 simple pictures: A dog, B red ball, C cat under a chair, D girl eating an apple, E boy on a bike, F two birds in a tree), the Reading Card (below), a timer, a pencil. Smile. Speak slowly. Wait 4 seconds before helping.
| Stage | Time | What to do and say |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Settle in | 1 min | "Hello! I am ___. This is a fun game, not a test. You can say 'I don't know'. That is OK." Ask the child's first name or a nickname. |
| 2. Warm-up chat | 1.5 min | "How are you today?" / "Can you count to ten?" / "What colour is this?" (point to something) |
| 3. Listening: point to a picture | 2 min | Show the Picture Sheet. Say each line once (twice if asked): 1 "Point to the dog." 2 "Point to the red ball." 3 "Point to the cat under the chair." 4 "Point to the girl who is eating." 5 "Point to the boy on a bike." 6 "Point to the picture with two birds." Score 1 point each (0-6). |
| 4. Speaking, 3 steps | 3 min | Go up one step only if the child is doing well. Stop at the step that is hard. Step 1 (words): "What is this?" (pictures A, B) / "Can you say three animals?" / "What colour is the ball?" Step 2 (sentences): "What do you like to eat?" / "What can you do? Say: I can ..." / "What time do you get up?" (say first: "You can give a pretend answer if you like." An easy answer such as "at seven" is fine) Step 3 (talk more): "What did you do yesterday?" (an invented answer is OK, for example "I played a game") / Picture D: "Tell me about this picture." / "What is your favourite animal? Why?" |
| 5. Mini read-aloud (only if the child is 8 or older and can read) | 1.5 min | Under 8: skip this stage and leave reading out of the placement. Use the time to try a Step again, or finish early with praise. Otherwise show the Reading Card. "Read it to me, please." Then ask: "What colour is the bag?" and "Where did Pondo go?" |
| 6. Wrap-up with praise | 1 min | "Well done! You worked hard. I liked ___." Give one specific praise (for example "your 'I can see' sentence was very clear"). Tell the child what happens next in plain words. |
| Total | 10 min |
Reading Card (invented, A1-A2): "Pondo has a red bag. On Monday, Pondo went to the park. Pondo saw a big dog. The dog ran away, and Pondo laughed."
| Part | Score |
|---|---|
| Listening (items 1-6) | ___ / 6 |
| Speaking Step 1 (3 prompts: answers with a word or short phrase) | ___ / 3 |
| Speaking Step 2 (3 prompts: a full simple sentence) | ___ / 3 |
| Speaking Step 3 (3 prompts: connected speech, past or reasons) | ___ / 3 |
| Reading (0 = cannot read yet, 1 = reads with help, 2 = reads and answers) | ___ / 2 (optional). Under 8: leave reading out of the placement. |
Give 1 point when the child answers clearly enough for a kind listener to understand, even with small mistakes.
| Placement | Can-do descriptors (what you usually see) | Typical scores |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-A1 | Understands single words and very simple instructions with pictures. Says single words or tiny phrases ("dog", "red", "I like cat"). Does not read yet, or only letters/short words. | Listening 0-3. Step 1 mostly, Step 2 under 2/3. |
| A1 | Understands short, slow sentences. Says simple full sentences about likes, abilities and routines ("I can swim", "I get up at seven"). Reads short words and a simple sentence with help. | Listening 4-6. Step 2 at least 2/3. Step 3 0-1/3. |
| A2 | Understands slow, clear everyday speech. Talks about past events and gives reasons in simple sentences ("Yesterday I played ... because ..."). Reads a short text and answers questions (age 8 and over). | Listening 5-6. Step 3 at least 2/3. Reading 1-2 for ages 8 and over. Under 8: place on listening and speaking only; no reading score needed. |
| A2+ | Speaks in connected sentences with "and / but / because". Uses past tense mostly well and tries new words. Reads easily (age 8 and over) and gives a short, clear explanation. | Listening 6. Step 3 3/3 with few mistakes. Reading 2 for ages 8 and over; under 8, listening and speaking only. |
How to decide: For children under 8, ignore reading completely and use listening and speaking only. Choose the highest row where both the listening and speaking descriptors fit. If the scores disagree, place the child one level lower and check again after 2-3 lessons. Age matters: a 6-year-old at Pre-A1 is normal; a 10-year-old at Pre-A1 needs extra warmth, not worry. Record: first name, age band, placement, date. Nothing else.
Draft teaching and safeguarding resources. Not legal advice. Check local law before use.