Sample Lesson Planning Guide for Listening

Objectives: (What will students learn and be able to do as a result of this activity?)




Assessment and Evaluation: (What do students already know and do as listeners? What do they not know or do as listeners? What criteria and guidelines will help students know what is expected in this lesson? What mini-lessons might be needed for students to succeed?)






Task: (What is the task? Are students listening to receive information? Are they listening to follow instructions? Are they listening to evaluate information? Are they listening for pleasure? Are they listening to empathize? What demands will the presentation make on them?)






Preparing to Listen: (What pre-listening activities will help the students prepare to listen? How will they access their background knowledge on the topic, set a purpose for listening, and focus?)






During Listening: (What strategies can students use to understand what they are hearing? How can they give complete attention to the listening task and demonstrate interest? Search for meaning? Constantly check their understanding of the message by making connections, making and confirming predictions, making inferences, evaluating, and reflecting? How will they note and remember the key ideas presented? What kind of notes can they make?)






After Listening: (What activities or guidelines will help students follow up on the presentation, review what they have heard, clarify, reflect, and act upon the message? What activities will help students analyze the presentation and draw conclusions?)







Sample Teacher Checklist to Support Listening

1. Do I provide opportunities for students to listen for a variety of purposes?
__ include listening for information and instructions
__ include listening for pleasure
__ include listening to evaluate speaker's ideas
__ include listening to empathize with others

2. Do I use mini-lessons to instruct students about effective listening strategies?
__ analyze what students need to know and build on what they already know
__ provide short but focused direct instruction about a listening strategy
__ give examples and activities reflecting a variety of culturally appropriate communication practices
__ provide mini-lessons for individuals or small groups of students, as required

3. Do I model effective listening behaviours for students?
__ ensure speakers are not interrupted
__ allow wait time before and after responses
__ acknowledge and build on others' responses
__ ensure both genders have an opportunity to participate
__ ensure that various cultural communication practices are valued and supported in classroom practices

4. Do I provide opportunities for students to listen in a variety of situations?
__ include less formal listening situations such as one-on-one conversations, think-pair-share sessions, talking circles, and small group discussions
__ include more formal listening situations such as introductions, class meetings, formal presentations, and oral reading
__ provide scaffolds and supports, as required, to ensure student success

5. Do I provide opportunities for students to develop their social skills through listening?
__ support students in listening without interrupting
__ help students to withhold judgement and clarify others' ideas
__ support students in listening politely and actively to ideas and viewpoints of others
__ help students to determine how other speakers and listeners are feeling and respond appropriately (e.g., clarify, paraphrase, empathize, encourage)

6. Do I provide opportunities for students to use listening as a means of learning?
__ support students in determining a purpose for listening
__ help students to activate existing knowledge
__ support students in using a listening strategy
__ support students in broadening their repertoire of listening strategies and skills
__ help students to recognize and summarize the main ideas

7. Do I provide opportunities for students to evaluate critically ideas in oral presentations? Provide scaffolds and supports, as required, to guide students' development and understanding in this area?
__ support students in analyzing the message and the speaker's evidence
__ develop listening guides that focus on main ideas, supporting details, or other criteria
__ support students in listening to differing points of view and developing their own positions
__ help students to listen to develop a position with supporting evidence

8. Do I involve students in assessing listening practices and behaviours?
__ support students in identifying their strengths and needs before, during, and after listening
__ support students in considering teacher, peer, and self-assessments
__ provide checklists, rubrics, anecdotal notes, and other assessment forms and techniques
__ involve students in developing appropriate criteria to assess development of listening practices and behaviours