The Listening Process

Listening is a highly complex, interactive process by which spoken language is converted to meaning in the mind (Lundsteen, 1979, p. 1). Hearing is not listening! Listening entails, receiving, attending, and assigning meaning (Wolvin and Coakley, 1979). Assimilation and accomodation help in assigning meaning.

Purposes for Listening

Discriminative (tapes of animal sounds, and other noises) Comprehensive listening (required in instructional activities) Critical listening (to evaluate messagespropaganda) Appreciative Listening (speakers, readers, classmates) Therapeutic Listening (sympathetic listening) Is there need for systematic instruction?

Comprehensive Listening Strategies (elementary)

1. Forming a picture (image + write about it) 2. Putting information into groups (categories, Chunking) 3. Asking questions: Why am I listening to this message?, do I know what ------means?, Does this information make sense to me? 4. Discovering the Plan (description, sequence, Comparison, cause and effect, problem/solution) 5. Note taking (Demonstrate by taking notes with the children) 6. Getting clues from the speaker (visual & verbal)

Critical Listening
Help children to recognize, persuasion and propaganda, deceptive language loaded words). Propaganda devices Step- Introduce commercials, explain deceptive language, analyze it, review concepts, provide practice, create commercials Same procedure applies to advertisements

Appreciative Listening
Important for reading aloud to students, repeated readings, oral presentations Teaching appreciative Listening Before reading: activate prior knowledge, background, set purpose for reading During reading: Use Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)-predictions, Reasoning & further predictions, proving After: share their log and relate to their lives. Enjoyment is reason enough to read aloud to children.

Authentic Listening Activities

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Acting out a story from one that is read. Making or doing something by following oral directions Participating in class or group discussions Getting information by listening to an announcement Working on group projects Critiquing a peers draft of a story after listening to it Enjoying good literature that is well presented orally Evaluating an issue that is being debated Evaluating products advertised in commercials Evaluating candidates from their campaign speeches

Strategies for Teaching Listening

1. Directed Listening Activity (DL-TA)
Before Listening Listening during the story After Listening

2. The Structured Listening Activity (SLA)

Concept Building Listening purpose Reading Aloud Questioning Reciting

Conti
3. InQuest
Read the story Role-Playing a news conference Evaluating the interview

4. Listening-Reading Transfer Strategy

Establish purpose Reading the selection Developing the skill Letting students read Group sharing

Developmentally Appropriate Practices

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Provide for all areas of development.. Broad range of content across disciplines that is socially relevant, stimulating and personally meaningful to children Build on what children already know Integrate content (themes) Develop knowledge and understanding (not memorization), dispositions to use and apply skills Intellectual integrity and authenticity (natural explorations, experiments, writing, role playing, etc.. Support home culture and language while developing all the abilities Curriculum goals and objectives are age appropriate Integrate technology physically and philosophically

Speaking: Talk in the Classroom

Talk is the primary expressive language mode (Stewig,1983a) Most children are fluent in oral language when they come to school, however, teachers need to emphasize both listening/speaking How can Quiet classrooms develop listening and speaking? Three types of talk: Informal conversations and discussions; more formal debates, oral reports, and interviews; and drama, including dramatic play, role-playing

Informal talk Activities

Conversations, exchange ideas, information, opinions, feelings, things events. (can be planned may be a list of topics!)- it makes the students feel important. Group activities enhance conversations.. Show and tell - children share things. (Follow the rules) Discussions (Wilen, 1986) suggests:
Ask carefully planned questions Single clearly phrased questions Sequential order Start with factual to higher order thinking Ask questions to follow up childrens responses Give sufficient time to think Encourage wide participation drawing in non-volunteers, seating students in a circle Have students create questions
Discussions about literature-provide opportunities to share Content area discussions- e.g. polution.

Formal-Interpretive Talk
Storytelling-teachers as well as students
Choose a story that you really like Not necessary to memorize (get a feel for the sequence and major events in the story Plan interesting phrases or repeated phrases Plan simple props /gestures (increases interest) Prepare a brief introduction an organizer Practice telling your story before hand!!

Readers Theater
A formalized dramatic presentation of a script by a group of readers
Students do not have to memorize their parts, no props Children can prepare their scripts

More Formal Talk Activities

Oral reports
Research reports (research skills + communication)

Book talks Interviews Debates

Dramatic Activities
Very powerful way of knowing-make believe
House keeping Shop 9 +Role playing - puppets and other props Skit puppets Play scripts

Classroom activities
The Telephone Yankee dooddle, etc