Introduction
Active listening is an essential skill in building meaningful relationships and effective communication. For elementary students, developing good listening habits is crucial for their social-emotional growth. One way to help students improve their listening skills is by teaching them to use visual referencing. Visual referencing is a technique that involves using our eyes to gather information from a speaker and our surroundings, without necessarily making direct eye contact. This method allows students to show they are paying attention during a conversation while prioritizing their comfort level.
No-Prep Activity: The Visual Referencing Game
In this activity, students will practice using visual referencing to demonstrate active listening. The objective of the game is for students to take turns speaking and using visual referencing to show they are paying attention.
- Ask the students to form pairs or small groups.
- One student starts by sharing a story or talking about a topic they are interested in.
- The other student(s) practice using visual referencing techniques, such as facing their body towards the speaker, looking in the direction of the speaker, and occasionally glancing at the speaker without making direct eye contact.
- After a few minutes, have the students switch roles.
This activity encourages students to practice visual referencing in a low-pressure environment and helps them become more comfortable using this technique in everyday conversations.
Discussion Questions
- How did you feel when using visual referencing during the activity? Did it make you feel more comfortable in the conversation?
- What challenges did you face while trying to use visual referencing? How can you overcome these challenges?
- How do you think using visual referencing can help improve communication and relationships with others?
- Can you think of other situations where visual referencing might be useful?
- What other active listening techniques can you use in addition to visual referencing?
Related Skills
Visual referencing is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that contribute to effective communication and relationship-building include:
- Active listening: Focusing on the speaker and providing verbal and nonverbal feedback to show understanding.
- Empathy: Recognizing and understanding the feelings and perspectives of others.
- Nonverbal communication: Using body language, facial expressions, and gestures to convey messages and emotions.
- Conflict resolution: Identifying and addressing disagreements in a constructive and respectful manner.
Next Steps
Teaching students to use visual referencing is a valuable step in helping them develop effective communication skills and foster meaningful relationships. To access more resources and sample materials to support your students’ social-emotional learning journey, sign up for free samples at Everyday Speech.
