Language Arts · Grade 3

Active learning ideas

Active Listening Strategies

Unlock the power of communication in your classroom by teaching students that listening is a superpower, not a passive task.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language, 2023 - Strand A. Literacy Connections and Applications
• The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language, 2023 - Strand B. Foundations of Language

• 15–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Individual

Listen and Draw

The teacher reads a descriptive passage detailing a scene or a character, without showing any pictures. Students listen carefully and draw what they hear, focusing on capturing specific details from the oral description.

Identify the key differences between hearing and actively listening.

Facilitation Tip

Start with simple descriptions and gradually add more complex details as students' listening skills improve.

What to look for

Use an observational checklist during partner or group activities to track students' use of specific listening strategies, such as asking clarifying questions or paraphrasing.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Partner Paraphrasing

In pairs, one student shares a brief story about their weekend or a favourite hobby. The listening partner's job is to paraphrase the story back, starting with 'So, what I hear you saying is...'.

Explain why asking clarifying questions is important for understanding.

Facilitation Tip

Provide sentence starters on the board to help students begin their paraphrased response.

What to look for

Students complete a simple 'T-Chart' with 'My Listening Habits Before' and 'My Listening Habits After' to reflect on their growth and identify one strategy they will continue to use.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Whole Class

Question Toss

After listening to a short story or a set of instructions, students stand in a circle and gently toss a soft ball to one another. The student who catches the ball must ask one clarifying question about what they just heard.

Compare your listening habits before and after learning these new strategies.

Facilitation Tip

Model a few good clarifying questions first to set a clear example of what is expected.

What to look for

Give students a multi-step oral direction for a drawing or building task (e.g., 'Draw a red house with two windows and a blue door'). The accuracy of their completed task demonstrates their listening comprehension.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Two-Way Barrier Game

Students work in pairs, sitting back-to-back with a barrier between them. One student (the 'Director') describes a simple picture or a structure they built with blocks, and the other student (the 'Builder') tries to recreate it based only on the verbal instructions.

Identify the key differences between hearing and actively listening.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage the 'Builder' to ask questions whenever the instructions are unclear.

What to look for

Use an observational checklist during partner or group activities to track students' use of specific listening strategies, such as asking clarifying questions or paraphrasing.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start by creating an anchor chart of 'What a Good Listener Does' with your class. Model these behaviours explicitly during your daily interactions and read-alouds, thinking aloud to show how you process information. Use role-playing to let students practise these skills in fun, low-pressure situations before applying them to academic tasks.

Your students will learn to use specific strategies like paraphrasing and asking questions to become more attentive friends, collaborators, and learners.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Listening just means being quiet while someone else is talking.

  Being quiet is part of listening, but true listening is active. It means you are also thinking about what the person is saying, making connections, and showing you are paying attention with your body.

• If I don't understand something, I should just stay quiet so I don't interrupt or look silly.

  Asking questions is a smart listening strategy. It shows the speaker that you are trying hard to understand their message and it helps you learn correctly.

• Hearing is the exact same thing as listening.

  Hearing is something your ears do automatically when sound is present. Listening is a choice you make with your brain to pay attention to the sound and understand its meaning.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share