Today is rung 5 of 9 on this topic
Academic vocabulary — the words school assumes
Can do: Understands analyse, compare, evaluate, describe, justify, summarise — and does the right thing when told to.
Why it matters
Children lose marks for answering a question they weren't asked. These command words are rarely taught explicitly and are worth explicit teaching.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Describes when asked to explain, or lists when asked to compare — the content is fine, the task was misread.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"What's the difference between describe and explain? Between compare and contrast?"
Solid looks like: Describe is what it's like, explain is why; compare covers similarities as well as differences.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Command Word Wall
- 1Write the command words with a plain-English translation each.
- 2Take one topic — a football match — and answer it six ways, once per command word.
- 3When homework arrives, circle the command word before anything else is done.
- 4After writing, check back: did the answer do what the word asked?
- 5Add subject-specific words as they turn up in real work.
If it's too hard
Three words only: describe, explain, compare.
If it's too easy
Add evaluate and justify, which require a judgement rather than information.
Say this
"Circle the command word first. It's not asking you to describe — it's asking you why."