STANDARD 2: Exhibits appropriate listening behaviors in conversations with peers
TASK 5: Good Listening Game
Materials suggested: Poster listing good listening skills in words and pictures.
I have had a poster called “How to be a Good Listener” hanging directly next to the table where I hold social skills
groups. The following are listed as the “Good Listener” skills, in words and a pictured face:
1) Pay Attention-Focus on the person and what’s being said.
2) Don’t get distracted by other things around you
3) Show you’re listening by saying “uh-huh” or nodding your head.
4) Keep quiet while the person is talking
5) Wait to ask questions of give comments
I have been fortunate to work in a district where each day I can have lunch groups with one child on the spectrum
and three of his/her typical peers. Students in my elementary school have seen this poster in my office for years,
discussed what each of the 5 skills mean, and practiced each of the Good Listener skills.
Task: Silently assign each student one of the “Good Listener” skills. The other students in the group should not
know which of the skills is assigned to whom, and are told not to shout out when they figure out who is doing
which skill. During “conversation” time of group (after lunch is finished) make a list of several topics of
conversation suggested by the students (Iist can be on dry-erase board, blackboard or paper). The format of my
social skills groups is always that students will each have a turn to talk briefly on each of the topics, and one or two
students are then to ask questions of the student who just spoke. We then move on to the next person briefly
talking about the topic, answering one or two questions, and so on. Topics are always ones each student is familiar
with (e.g., ‘Halloween costumes,’ that morning’s assembly, the project their class is working on in art, video games,
etc.).
Point to the first topic and ask the person who suggested the topic to initiate the conversation, telling everyone
they are to start showing off the good listening skill assigned to them. Count each occurrence of the target
student demonstrating his skill appropriately. After each student has had his chance to talk about each topic and
ask and answer questions, stop conversation time, and ask the target student if he can identify which listening skill
each of the others in the group had assigned to him. Then ask a member of the group to identify which listening
skill the target student had. If he does not know, ask others which skill they thought target student had. Always
ask questions in a different order each time, and ask the group to identify which skills they thought others had so
as not to single out the target student. This task gives the target student an opportunity to 1) identify how he
carried out his skill (“I waited until Chuck finished talking about his art project to ask him what color he was going
to paint it” or “I ignored Mrs. Smith’s class walking down the hall making so much noise while Billy was talking.”)
and assess the degree he attended to the other students in order to know which skill they were demonstrating.
W
E
I
G
H
T
Demonstrates
his assigned
listening skill
several times
during
discussion
Able to give an
example of
what he did to
demonstrate
his assigned
skill.
Able to identify
the listening
skills assigned
to others in the
group.
Able to give
examples of
how others
demonstrated
their assigned
listening skill.
Peers were able
to identify
which listening
skill was
assigned to the
target student.
Weak
demonstration
of skill
Demonstrated
skill more than
once, but
occurrences
were rare
Needed
prompting by
peers to
describe and
demonstrate
Able to
demonstrate
skill most of
the time
Demonstrated
his assigned
skill often and
at appropriate
times
X2
Did not
demonstrate
his listening
skill during
conversation
time
Frequently
demonstrated
his assigned
skill and
refrained from
“non-listening”
behaviors
Made quality
guesses
showing he was
watching
others (“Bill
asked a
question”)
Gave examples
of listening
skills, but not
those shown in
conversation.
Identified each
students’ skill,
but not
examples of
that skill
Accurately
described at
least one
specific
example of
assigned skill
he had just
shown.
Identified
most
assigned
skills, and
gave some
examples
Described two
or more specific
examples
X2
Exhibited
mostly only
when peers
prompted him
so they could
figure out
which skill he
had
Needed
prompting by
peers to
describe an
example of his
assigned
listening skill.
Exhibited his
skill well, but
missed some
opportunities
or gave
examples at
wrong times
Unable to tell
because he did
not
demonstrate
his skill
Exhibited his
listening skill at
least twice, but
occurrences of
non-listening
(distracted,
interrupted
someone)
Gives an
example of the
skill, but not
one he
demonstrated
in the
conversation.
Needed
prompts by
peers
(“remember?
I did…….”)
Gave correct
examples for
more than
one student
Gave correct
examples for all
students
Peers named
several, and
reasons why
they thought
so, but skill was
not
demonstrated
strongly
enough to
identify
Peers asked
target student
what his
listening skill
was, then
recognized that
he tried to
demonstrate it.
Peers in
correct
agreement
as to which
skill was
assigned the
student
Peers in correct
agreement,
AND target
student’s
examples were
good enough
that peers
described those
also.
X1
X1
X1
Did not know
or guess what
others’
assigned skill
was
Vague, but ontopic examples
such as “he
listened” or
“he paid
attention”
No peer able
to guess which
was student’s
assigned skill
Identified each
students’ skill
and an example
shown during
conversation