School Curriculum: Listening Skills

This page is designed to enable parents to understand what their child should be learning, when they should be learning it, and what degree of mastery the child should have attained (at a median level) by a certain grade level. For Homeschoolers, we hope that this page will serve as a valuable asset in establishing a baseline curriculum. For parents whose children attend public or private schools (or for the inquisitive student) this page should give some guidance as to whether or not the school curriculum and methods are providing students with an adequate standard of education. 

What is meant by "Listening," why is it important, and how is it approached ? Below is a description of the core discipline and its components, and the answers to why-how-when these components are taught. Listening components have median level goals to be attained by the end of Kindergarten, by the end of Grade 1 by the end of Grade 2, by the end of Grade 3, by the end of Grade 4, by the end of Grade 5, by the end of Grade 6, by the end of Grade 7, by the end of Grade 8, and by the end of Grade 12.

This page does not contain articles for education in this discipline.
For educational articles, go to: Listening: A. Active Listening, B. Listening Comprehension

STANDARD 3.4 (LISTENING) ALL STUDENTS WILL LISTEN ACTIVELY TO INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS.

Descriptive Statement: Listening is the process of hearing, receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages. Through active listening, students gain understanding and appreciation of language and communication. Students call on different listening skills depending on their purpose for listening (e.g., listening to letter sounds to gain phonemic awareness, comprehending information, evaluating a message, appreciating a performance). Effective listeners are able to listen actively, restate, interpret, respond to, and evaluate increasingly complex messages. Students need to recognize that what they say, read, write, and view contributes to the content and quality of their listening experiences.

Strands and Cumulative Progress Indicators

By the end of Kindergarten students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Listen fully to understand instructions or hear daily messages.

2. Listen to identify main characters and events in stories.

3. Listen to rhymes and songs to begin developing an understanding of letter/sound relationships.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Listen attentively to books teacher reads to class.

2. Answer questions correctly about books read aloud.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grade, by the end of Grade 1, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Listen and respond appropriately to directions.

2. Listen to hear initial, final, and eventually middle sounds in words.

3. Listen to a familiar text being read to begin tracking print.

4. Listen to a spoken word to produce another word that rhymes with it.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Listen to make predictions about stories read aloud.

2. Follow simple oral directions.

3. Recall information from listening to stories, poems, television, and film.

4. Retell, reenact, or dramatize stories or parts of stories heard.

5. Respond appropriately to questions about stories read aloud.

6. Begin to track print when listening to a familiar text being read or when rereading their own writing.

7. Ask questions for clarification and explanation of stories and ideas heard.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 2, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Listen critically to identify main ideas and supporting details.

2. Begin to distinguish between types of speech (e.g., a joke, a chat, a warning).

3. Listen and contribute to class discussions.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Follow one- and two- step oral directions.

2. Develop a strong listening vocabulary to aid comprehension and oral and written language growth.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 3, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Connect messages heard to prior knowledge and experiences.

2. Exchange information through verbal and nonverbal messages.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Follow two-and three-step directions.

2. Listen to a story read aloud and/or information from television or film, and summarize main ideas.

3. Paraphrase information shared by others.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 4, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Listen actively for a variety of purposes such as enjoyment and obtaining information.

2. Listen attentively and critically to a variety of speakers.

3. Interpret vocabulary gained through listening.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Demonstrate competence in active listening through comprehension of a story, interview, and oral report of an event or incident.

2. Develop listening strategies (e.g., asking questions and taking notes) to understand what is heard.

3. Demonstrate competence in active listening by interpreting and applying received information to new situations and solving problems.

4. Make inferences based on an oral report or presentation.

5. Describe how language reflects specific regions and/or cultures.

6. Follow three-and four-step oral directions.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 5, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Listen actively for a variety of purposes such as enjoyment and obtaining information.

2. Listen attentively and critically to a variety of speakers.

3. Acknowledge the speaker through eye contact and use appropriate feedback and questions to clarify the speaker’s message.

4. Recognize and analyze persuasive techniques while listening.

5. Recognize the rich and varied language of literature (e.g., listen to a recording of poetry or classic literature).

6. Listen to determine a speaker’s purpose, attitude, and perspective.

7. Use, when appropriate, criteria/rubric to evaluate oral presentations, such as purpose, delivery techniques, content, visual aids, body language, and facial expressions.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Demonstrate competence in active listening through responding to a story, interview, or oral report (e.g., summarizing, reacting, retelling).

2. Demonstrate competence in active listening by interpreting and applying received information to new situations and in solving problems.

3. Ask pertinent questions, take notes, and draw conclusions based on information presented.

4. Make inferences based on an oral report or presentation.

5. Follow three-and four-step oral directions.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Listen actively for a variety of purposes such as enjoyment and obtaining information.

2. Listen attentively and critically to a variety of speakers.

3. Acknowledge the speaker through eye contact and use appropriate feedback and questions to clarify the speaker’s message.

4. Recognize and analyze persuasive techniques while listening.

5. Recognize the rich and varied language of literature (e.g., listen to a recording of poetry or classic literature).

6. Listen to determine a speaker’s purpose, attitude, and perspective.

7. Use, when appropriate, criteria/rubric to evaluate oral presentations, such as purpose, delivery techniques, content, visual aids, body language, and facial expressions.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Demonstrate competence in active listening through responding to a story, interview, or oral report (e.g. summarizing, reacting, retelling).

2. Demonstrate competence in active listening by interpreting and applying received information to new situations and in solving problems.

3. Ask pertinent questions, take notes, and draw conclusions based on information presented.

4. Make inferences based on an oral report or presentation.

5. Follow three and four-step oral directions.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 7, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Demonstrate active listening behaviors in a variety of situations (e.g., one-on-one or small group).

2. Demonstrate active listening by analyzing information, ideas, and opinions to determine relevancy.

3. Acknowledge the speaker through eye contact and use appropriate feedback and questions to clarify the speaker’s message.

4. Recognize persuasive techniques and credibility in oral communication.

5. Listen to determine a speaker's purpose, attitude, and perspective.

6. Use, when appropriate, criteria/rubric to evaluate oral presentations, such as purpose, delivery techniques, content, visual aids, body language, and facial expressions.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Interpret a speaker's verbal and nonverbal messages, purposes, and perspectives.

2. Exhibit proficiency in integrating oral reading with listening, writing, and viewing.

3. Critique information heard or viewed.

4. Critique oral presentations using agreed-upon criteria for evaluation (e.g., rubric).

5. Ask probing questions to elicit information, including evidence to support the speaker’s claims and conclusions.

6. Make inferences based on an oral report or presentation.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Demonstrate active listening behaviors in a variety of situations (e.g., one-on-one or small group).

2. Demonstrate active listening by analyzing information, ideas, and opinions to determine relevancy.

3. Acknowledge the speaker through eye contact and use appropriate feedback and questions to clarify the speaker’s message.

4. Recognize persuasive techniques and credibility in oral communication.

5. Listen to determine a speaker's purpose, attitude, and perspective.

6. Use, when appropriate, criteria/rubric to evaluate oral presentations, such as purpose, delivery techniques, content, visual aids, body language, and facial expressions.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Interpret a speaker's verbal and nonverbal messages, purposes, and perspectives.

2. Exhibit proficiency in integrating oral reading with listening, writing, and viewing.

3. Critique information heard or viewed.

4. Critique oral presentations using agreed-upon criteria for evaluation (e.g., rubric).

5. Ask probing questions to elicit information, including evidence to support the speaker’s claims and conclusions.

6. Paraphrase a speaker’s purpose and point of view.

7. Make inferences based on an oral report or presentation.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A. Active Listening

1. Explore and reflect on ideas while hearing and focusing attentively.

2. Listen skillfully to distinguish emotive and persuasive rhetoric.

3. Demonstrate appropriate listener response to ideas in a persuasive speech, oral interpretation of a literary selection, or scientific or educational presentation.

B. Listening Comprehension

1. Listen to summarize, make judgments, and evaluate.

2. Evaluate the credibility of a speaker.

3. Determine when propaganda and argument are used in oral forms.

4. Listen and respond appropriately to a debate

 

 

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