Introduction
Active listening is an essential skill that helps students develop better communication skills, empathy, and understanding. Showing that we are listening is a crucial aspect of active listening, as it demonstrates our care and attentiveness to the speaker. This blog post will explore how educators can teach active listening skills to elementary students, focusing on body language, visual referencing, and making connected comments. We will also share a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills for further exploration.
No-Prep Activity: The Listening Game
This activity requires no preparation or materials and helps students practice active listening skills. Instruct the students to sit in a circle, and have one student start by sharing something about their day, a favorite hobby, or anything they’d like to talk about. The next student in the circle must then repeat what the first student said and add their own statement. This continues around the circle, with each student repeating the previous statements and adding their own. The game ends when it returns to the first student, who must then try to remember and repeat all the statements in order. This activity encourages students to focus on what others are saying and practice their active listening skills.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it essential to show that we are listening when someone is speaking to us?
- What are some ways we can use our body language to show we are actively listening?
- How does visual referencing help us understand the speaker’s feelings during a conversation?
- What is a connected comment, and why is it essential in a conversation?
- How can we let others know about our preferred listening style?
Related Skills
Beyond active listening, there are several other skills that can help students become more effective communicators and build stronger relationships. Some of these skills include:
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which can help students respond more thoughtfully in conversations.
- Nonverbal communication: Using facial expressions, gestures, and body language to convey messages and emotions without speaking.
- Conflict resolution: Learning how to address disagreements or misunderstandings in a healthy and constructive way.
- Assertiveness: Expressing one’s thoughts, feelings, and needs in an open, honest, and respectful manner.
Next Steps
Teaching active listening skills is an essential part of fostering social-emotional development in elementary students. To explore more resources and activities for teaching these skills, sign up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech. These materials cover a wide range of social-emotional learning topics, providing educators with valuable tools to support students’ growth and development.
