Listening
Tonja L. Root, Ed.D.
Early Childhood & Reading Education
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698
Listening Process
 “The
process by which spoken
language is converted to
meaning in the mind” (Lundsteen,
1979, p.1).
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Listening Process Step 1:
Receiving
 The
listener receives the aural
stimuli, or aural & visual
stimuli presented by the
speaker.
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Listening Process Step 2:
Attending
 Listener
focuses on selected
stimuli while ignoring
distracting stimuli.
 “Paying attention” component
 Not necessarily related to
physical behaviors
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Listening Process Step 3:
Assigning Meaning
 Listener
understands the
speaker’s message.
 Uses assimilation & accomodation to fit the message into
their existing cognitive structures
or to create new structures.
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Purposes for Listening
 Discriminative:
to distinguish
sounds & develop a sensitivity to
nonverbal communication
 Comprehensive: to understand a
message; required in instruction
 Critical: to comprehend & evaluate
a message; to detect propaganda
devices & persuasive language
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Comprehensive Listening Strategies:
Forming pictures or mental images/
Imagery strategy
 Students
may form mental
images or pictures while
listening to messages which
include visual descriptions
and/or details.
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Comprehensive Listening Strategies:
Monitoring
 Students
may ask themselves
questions to monitor their
listening:
 "Why am I listening?"
 "What does this mean (in
my own
words or thoughts)?"
 "Does this information make sense?"
 "How can I use this information?"
 "What will I have to do with this
information?"
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Comprehensive Listening Strategies:
Asking Questions
 Students
may ask the speaker
questions to clarify meaning,
deepen their understanding, and/or
reduce/eliminate confusion.
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Comprehensive Listening Strategies:
Discovering the Plan
 Ability
to recognize the organizational
plan of the speaker, & to use the plan to
understand & remember the message.
 Teach each organizational pattern
separately before requiring students both
to identify the correct pattern & to apply
the pattern to their listening.
 Incorporating graphic organizers for
each of the organizational patterns
allows an auditory message to become
more visual.
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Comprehensive Listening Strategies:
Discovering the Plan
 Note-taking:
Students may apply
knowledge of organizational plans
& use graphic organizers to assist
with note-taking.

Organizational Patterns:
– Categorization
– Description
– Sequence
– Comparison & contrast
– Cause & effect
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– Problem & solution
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Lesson Plan Guidelines
 General
Information
 Title of Lesson: Efferent Listening:
Note-taking during __________
 Primary Learning Outcome(s)
 Related QCC Standard(s)
 Materials and Equipment
 Technology Connection
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Procedures: Step One: Introduction
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Do
something that emphasizes the
importance and/or use of the strategy to
capture students' attention.
 If the strategy is similar to another
listening or reading strategy previously
taught, then review that strategy (i.e.,
activate prior knowledge &/or
experiences). List questions.
 Let them know that they will be using the
strategy while they are listening during
this lesson.
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Procedures: Step Two: Teaching- 1. Content
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Introduce
& explain the listening
process.
 Introduce & explain the strategy.
 Model the strategy:
 Listen to a tape or someone reading a
passage of information; verbalize
your thoughts while applying the
strategy; and do whatever you are
going to require your students to do.
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Procedures: Step Two: 2. Check understanding
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Ask
the students questions.
– What is the listening process?
– What are we using to help us
remember to what we are listening?
– When will we use this strategy?
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Procedures: Step Two: 3a. Practice & Feedback
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Read
a passage to your students,
play a tape, and/or present part of a
mini-lesson on some new
information.
 The information must be new to
your students, or you will not know
whether the students applied the
listening strategy effectively or
whether they recalled previously
learned information.
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Procedures: Step Two: 3a. Practice & Feedback
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 As
an entire class (large group),
share, discuss, & record
information in the same form as
you are going to require your
students to do & as you modeled
during instruction.
 Clarify misunderstandings &
model for them the application of
the strategy to their listening.
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Procedures: Step Two: 3b. Practice & Feedback
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Read
another passage to your students,
play a tape, &/or present part of a
mini-lesson on some new information.
 Information must be new, or you will
not know if the students applied the
strategy effectively or if they recalled
previously learned information.
 In small groups (about 4), have students
share, discuss, & record information in
the same form as during instruction & Step
Two: Teaching-3a (Practice & Feedback).
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Procedures: Step Three: Closure
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Explain
connections among lesson parts.
 Review the listening process.
 Summarize the strategy.
 Give situations in which its use would be
appropriate.
 Summarize the content learned, as
related to the primary learning outcome.
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Procedures: Step Four: Assessing
Comprehensive/Efferent Listening
 Read
another passage to your students,
play a tape, and/or present part of a
mini-lesson on some new information.
 Information must be new to your
students.
 Individually, have students record
information in the same form as you
modeled during instruction and guided
practice & they practiced in small
groups during independent practice.
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Children's Literature Related to
Listening
 Balian,
L. (1972). The aminal. New
York: Abingdon Press.
 Keats, E.J. (1962). The snowy day.
New York: Viking.
 Lester, H. (1995). Listen Buddy.
New York: Trumpet.
 Pfeffer, W. (1999). Sounds all
around. New York: Scholastic.
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Children's Literature Related to
Listening (cont.)
 Showers,
P. (1990). Ears are for
hearing. New York: Thomas Y.
Crowell Junior Books.
 Showers, P. (1961). The listening
walk. New York: HarperCollins.
 Stanley, D. (1983). The conversation
club. New York: Macmillan.
 Wells, R. (1973). Noisy Nora. New
York: Dial Press.
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