How did Ms. Reed say to sort the blocks?
Listen to a Classroom Conversation · ELPAC Grade 1 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A multiple-turn conversation between two speakers, followed by three questions.
Listen to Camila and Jamal talk in class. Then answer the questions.
Sorting Blocks
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Camila: Jamal, we have to sort these blocks.
Jamal: Let's put them in groups by color.
Camila: Ms. Reed said to sort them by shape.
Jamal: Oh, right. I will take the circles and the squares.
Camila: Then I will take the triangles. Let's count them when we are done.
The question
Choose the best answer.
How did Ms. Reed say to sort the blocks?
- By color
- By size
- By shapeCorrect answer
- By number
Why “By shape” is correct
Jamal suggests one way to sort, and Camila corrects him by repeating what the teacher said. The child has to tell the difference between an idea someone has and an instruction from the teacher. Ask your child whose idea 'by color' was and what Ms. Reed said instead.
Why the other answers are wrong
- By color — Sorting by color is Jamal's idea, and Camila tells him it is not what Ms. Reed asked for.
- By size — Size is never mentioned in the conversation.
- By number — The children plan to count the blocks at the end, but they sort them by shape, not number.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grade 1, or see the ELPAC practice test for grade 1. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
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.