ELPAC speaking prompts and practice for grade 2
Speaking prompts with a rubric based on the published scoring guides, plus sample responses and optional personalized feedback. Not scored here — speaking is scored by a person on the real test.
Record your answer and play it back—no typing needed. Where supported, turn on automatic transcription to get personalized feedback on what you said. The feedback reads only the transcript, so it cannot judge pronunciation, and it is not an official ELPAC score — on the real test, speaking is scored against a rubric.
Prompt 1 of 5 — Talk About a Scene — about 3 minutes on the real test
Speaking is still given one to one at grade 2, so sit with your child for this. Look at the picture together and let your child keep looking at it while they answer.
The School Library
Read image description
The picture shows a school library on a rainy day.
In the middle of the room, three children are sitting at a round table. A girl in a yellow sweater is reading a book about sharks. A boy beside her is drawing a picture of a boat. The third child is putting stickers on a sheet of paper.
On the left, the librarian is standing on a small step stool, sliding a book onto a high shelf. A cart piled with books is next to her.
On the right, two children are sitting on a rug with big pillows. They are looking at one large book together.
By the window, rain is running down the glass. A fish tank sits on the window ledge with two orange fish in it.
Ask the three short questions one at a time, and let your child answer each one before you read the next. Then ask the last question and give them as long as they need. Everything here is spoken — nothing is written down.
Who is putting a book on the high shelf? What are the two children on the rug doing? Where are the fish? Now tell me everything you can about what is happening in this library.
Answer the prompt aloud. After recording, listen back or try another take.
View the practice scoring rubric
| Level | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 4 — Well developed |
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| 3 — Moderately developed |
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| 2 — Somewhat developed |
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| 1 — Minimally developed |
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Show a strong sample response
The librarian is putting the book up high. She is standing on a little stool so she can reach it.
The two kids on the rug are reading one big book together. They have pillows.
The fish are in the tank by the window. There is two orange fish.
It is a library, and it is raining outside, you can see the rain going down the window. Three kids are at the round table. One girl is reading about sharks and a boy is drawing a boat and the other one is doing stickers. There is a cart next to the librarian with a lot of books on it. I think she has to put all those books back on the shelves. And everybody is being quiet because in the library you have to whisper.
The three short answers are all correct and go beyond one word, and the long answer moves around the room instead of staying on the table in the middle. "There is two orange fish" is a normal slip at seven and does not stop a listener; the closing thought about whispering shows the child understood the place, not just the objects in it.
What to look for
- Ask the short questions one at a time and wait for an answer to each. Reading all three together is the quickest way to get one answer to the last one.
- Count how many parts of the room your child mentions on the long question. Describing only the table is a partial answer even when the English is good.
- Prompt once with "what else do you see?" if they stop early, and make a note that you had to. On the real test an examiner may prompt too.
- Do not correct grammar while your child is talking. Let the answer finish, then say one sentence back correctly in a normal voice if you want to.
- Nothing here produces a level. Use the rubric to decide what to practice, not to put a score on your child.
Read next
- ELPAC Speaking Test: Task Types & Rubrics: The Speaking domain asks a student to answer out loud, one to one with a test examiner who scores each answer on the spot. Here is what each task type involves, how answers are scored, and how to practice.
- How to Prepare for the ELPAC: Effective ELPAC preparation is about steady daily language development rather than frantic test cramming. Here is a practical, domain-by-domain guide for parents and teachers.
- ELPAC Scores Explained: A Summative ELPAC report gives an overall performance level from 1 to 4, plus separate results for oral language and written language. Here is what each part means, and what it does not mean.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.