Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Strategy: Directed Listening-Thinking
Appropriate Grade Level: Elementary
Procedures/Steps:
Directed Listening-Thinking is intended to promote inferential comprehension and
prediction. The teacher asks questions that are deliberately open ended to
encourage students to form and discuss individual interpretations of the story read.
 Prior to reading, determine 5-6 stopping points where students will make
predictions
 Give the students a statement relating to the story, put them in groups of
two to discuss whether or not they agree with the statement. (5 minutes)
 Combine 2 groups of 2 to create groups of 4. Have the students share what
they discussed in their groups of 2. (10 minutes)
 A spokesperson from each group of 4 presents their group’s view(s) to the
class.
 Have the students make predictions about the story while stopping at the
predetermined points. Encourage students to speculate, predict, and discuss.
 Make a final stop near the end of the story and have the students predict the
ending. Record student’s predictions and have students discuss and delete
those that might not be feasible.
 Finish the story and have an overall discussion about the student’s
predictions.
Comments and/or tips:
 Directed Listening-Thinking can be used along with another strategy,
Discussion Web, in which the students focus their thoughts and responses
with statements in which they may agree or disagree.
Source:
Headley, K. N., Dunston, P. J. (2000). Teachers’ choices books and
comprehension strategies as transaction tools. The Reading Teacher. 54,
260-268.