September SEL -- Listening

Listening is a very important social skill for children to learn. It's a tool they will use in school for learning, and a tool they will use the rest of their lives. We never stop listening to others! Good listening skills not only help us learn in school, but they also help us keep and make friends and work well with others.

For our SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) lessons this month, we will focus on one particular component of listening per grade level. Here is a summary of what we're doing in our lessons:

Third Grade
Learning goal: Active listening. Active listening shows that you are listening to understand someone else.
Activities: Interactive modeling of active listening and in-class practice for students.

Second Grade
Learning goal: Strengthening listening skills by watching and decoding body language
Activities: PowerPoint presentation on how we show body language through our eyes and eyebrows, mouths, hands and arms, legs and feet, and posture; Interpreting a story with no speaking by reading body language; Emotions Charades

First Grade
Learning goal: Know the importance of taking turns in a conversation
Activities: Video showing taking turns in a conversation; Interactive modeling of taking turns in a conversation; In-Class practice for students in taking turns in a conversation.

Kindergarten
Learning goal: Know what good listening looks like and why it is important in school
Activities: Read and discuss "Listen Buddy," a story about a bunny rabbit who didn't listen; Simon Says

Key Points for Parents
Here are some things I teach/remind students of all grades:
* If you are talking and someone else it talking, the person that you hear is yourself. You aren't able to hear the other person talking.
* Good listening means you have to use your eyes, ears, AND brain.

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