Listening.

I discuss listening quite frequently in my lessons. Whether I frame it as good listening, respectful listening, or active listening, the basic concepts of listening with our ears, eyes, and heart are covered.

In first grade (earlier this year) we read the book Listen Buddy by Helen Lester. This is one of my all-time favorite stories to read to students each year. After our discussion about what Buddy needed to do to improve his listening skills, I told the students I was going to test them to see how well they could listen. With some silly directions, students had to listen (and not ask questions) to follow my directions for how to color Buddy (I adapted this resource.)

In second grade, I read The Worst Day of My Life Ever! by Julia Cook. We discussed how much listening can affect how we feel and what happens to us. I reinforced the lesson with some of the resources found in the activity guide that accompanies the story. The listening game from this guide is great fun for the students (though still a bit complex for 2nd graders.) We will keep practicing this throughout the year!