This can also be done in groups or pairs, and as well as developing listening skills can be used to encourage the giving of clear instructions. A point can be given for every right answer. After twenty seconds, students hold up their completed drawings. For example: “Draw a triangle in the top right corner, a circle in the middle of the page, and a square in the bottom left corner.” The instruction ‘draw it’ is then given, without repeating the instructions. Before they pick up their pencil or marker, the teacher gives a set of simple instructions. Students have a blank sheet of paper or a white board to draw on. This can be done either with three students in front of the whole class, or with the class divided into groups of three.ĥ. Afterwards, Student B should point out what was missed out. Student C must then tell the story, or give the list of instructions. Another student (Student B) must then tell the remaining student (Student C) a story, or give a list of instructions. In groups of three, one student (Student A) is sent away where they can’t hear what is being said. This game develops both listening and clear diction.Ĥ. This student must pass the message on to the next student and so, until the final student says out loud what the message is. One student whispers a message into the next student’s ear. Once known as Chinese Whispers, this game involves students siting in a circle. ‘Corner store’ can be replaced with “I packed my schoolbag and put in …” or “I went for a picnic and took…” This game develops both listening skills and memorisation.ģ. This can be played until one student remains, or for an allocated time. That student is then ‘out’, and the next student begins a new list. This continues until a student forgets an item. The second student repeats the sentence, adding a second item. Sitting in a circle or at desks, one student begins with “I went to the corner store and I bought …” They complete the sentence with an item that they bought. Teaching listening skills can be challenging, especially in busy, loud classrooms.Ģ. If done using subject content, it will also increase engagement with potentially dry content. This activity can be done regularly, with a different topic each time. This can be done in groups, with each group writing down what they remember, or individually, with children raising their hand, or with two or more students competing at the front of the room. Students are then given a point for every fact they can remember from the list. This could be content you are teaching in any subject area, or random facts – try The Fact Site if you are stuck for ideas. The teacher begins by reading a list of 20 or more facts on a topic of your choice. These activities can be adjusted to the age of your students. Fun Ways of Building Active Listening Skills Responses reflect understanding or seek clarificationįor more developed listening skills, strategies such as note taking and mind-mapping can be introduced in the mid years of primary school.Body language reflects understanding or agreement.Making this a list of what to do rather than what not to do makes it positive and affirming:Īfter the first few years of school, the following can be added to the list: Some Tips for Listening Activitiesįrom early years, children can be taught what good listening looks like. Good listening helps students of all levels in acquiring vocabulary, retaining new knowledge, understanding the requirements of tasks, and developing interpersonal skills.īut teaching listening skills can be challenging, especially in busy, loud classrooms, where it seems that everybody is hearing noise constantly, but that opportunities for in depth listening can be limited.Īssessing listening skills can also be problematic, requiring time-heavy one-on-one assessment or guesswork as to how well children are listening to content and instructions. But listening skills can be developed by integrating listening tasks across subject areas and into free time and warm up activities. We will now focus on the importance of building active listening skills in the classroom. From the early years through to university level and, of course, out in the workforce, the ability to speak clearly, fluently and confidently is undoubtedly vital.īut sometimes in the quest to build speaking skills we overlook the other, equally important component of spoken language: listening skills. The importance of oracy skills is undoubtable.
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