Hi All!
Some of my best listening techniques I have learned from my cooperating teacher. There are cues that we use in our class to enhance listening one of these being "123 eyes on me". This strategy works really well to get the students attention immediately. It is a great way to get the "listening started". A strategy that I use while I'm teaching frequently is to ask the students to put what I just said into their own words. It requires them to be listening, but also to be able to rephrase what I have told them which shows that they heard, understand, and can explain it. There is a double bonus in that I may not have explained something well enough and by putting what I said into kid language, the students might be able to assist their peers.
Happy Monday!
Julie
I really like the idea of asking kids to put what you've said into their own words--you're supporting the development of their listening skills with this technique. How do the kids do when you turn the responsibility back on them?
ReplyDeleteAnother way to develop kids' listening skills is to ask them to "turn and talk" to a partner to share what they're thinking about a particular idea the class is discussing. You can also ask the kids to repeat what a classmate just said in response to a question. Used often enough, kids will begin to listen more closely knowing that you expect them to engage with anyone who's talking.