An Exploration of Listening Instruction in the K-12 Curriculum

Joanne E. Hopper Doctoral Student

Central Michigan University

April 2006

Administrators’ Support of Listening

Dependent Upon:• Understanding the importance of

listening• Its connection with other language

skills• Instructional resources available • Effective ways to teach listening

Listening Defined“A receptive skill comprising both a physical

and an interpretive, analytical process.” Mead & Rubin, 1984 ¶ 4

“The process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages.”

International Listening Association, 2005

Communication

• A two-way process

True communication does not occur “unless there is understanding of what those who send messages intend.”

(Gilbert, 2004, p. 8)

Importance of Listening

• Important interpersonal skill– Success in the world and the job market – Critical to managerial success

• 45% of day listening • 60% of salary listening

Raudsepp, n.d., ¶ 4

Importance of Listening– Critical to a child’s success in school

“Early literacy development and long-term school success hinge on a child’s acquisition of speaking and listening skills.”

Dickinson, McCabe, and Sprague, 2003;

Bridgman, Lane, et. Al., 1999

High Scope Preschool CurriculumProblem-Solving Approach to Conflict Resolution

– Approach calmly, stopping any hurtful actions.

– Acknowledge children’s feelings. – Gather information. – Restate the problem. – Ask for solutions and choose one together. – Be prepared to give follow-up support.

http://www.highscope.org/

The New Standards Project

– Research-based early childhood standards for speaking and listening

– Preschool through third grade– Developed by National Center on

Education and the Economy

Dickinson, McCabe, and Sprague, 2003;

Michigan K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Essential Goals and Objectives for Speaking and Listening (1992)

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)• Michigan Grade Level Content

Expectations (2004) • Michigan English Language Proficiency

Standards for K-12 Schools (2004)

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Essential Goals and Objectives for Speaking and Listening (1992)– Six listening sub skills addressed:

• Perceiving and discriminating• Attending• Assigning• Evaluating • Responding• Remembering

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)– Four specific standards focusing on listening– Covers four grade spans: early elementary,

later elementary, middle school, high school– Six of 55 (11%) of ELA benchmarks

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)– Standards 1, 2, 3 - Meaning and Communication: “The essence of the English language arts is

communication – exchanging and exploring information and insights…Only when we understand or when we are understood are we communicating.” (emphasis added) (Michigan Curriculum Framework, 1996, p. 4)

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)– Standard 3, Benchmark 2 – the two-way

process of effective communication: “Consistently uses strategies to regulate the

effects of variables on the communication process. An example is designing a communication environment for maximum impact on the receiver.” (p. 10)

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)– Standard 3, Benchmark 4:

“Consistently uses effective listening strategies (e.g. discriminating, assigning meaning, evaluating, and remembering) and elements of effective speaking (e.g. message content, language choices, and audience analysis).” (p. 10).

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)– Standard 7, Benchmark 2:

“Monitor their progress while using a variety of strategies to overcome difficulties when constructing and conveying meaning, and demonstrate flexible use of strategies across a wide range of situations.” (p. 15)

K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (1996)– Teaching and Learning Standards -

Substantive Conversation “Students engage in extended conversational exchanges with the teacher and/or peers about subject matter in such a way that builds an improved and shared understanding of ideas or topics.”

(p. 2)

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations (2004) – Listening and Viewing – Second Grade

• Conventions - “Give, restate, and follow three- and four-step directions.” (L.CN.02.01, GLCE, pg. 9) NASL

• Response – “Listen to or view and discuss a variety of genres.” (L.RP.02.01, GLCE, pg. 9) NASLNASL means Not Assessed at State Level

– While listening standards exist, the majority are not assessed by state-level assessments.

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations (2004) – Listening and Viewing – Eighth Grade

• Conventions - “Demonstrate the appropriate social skills of audience behavior (e.g. eye contact, quiet and still, attentive, supportive) during speeches and presentations.” (L.CN.07.02, GLCE, pg. 38) NASL

• Response – “Identify, state, and react to a speaker’s point of view and bias.” (L.RP.07.01, GLCE, pg. 9) NASL

Listening and Viewing Grade Level Content Expectations

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

All Expectations

Response

Conventions

Listening / Viewing

Listening Content Expectations in Michigan

Michigan’s K-12 Standards for Teaching Listening

• Michigan English Language Proficiency Standards for K-12 Schools (2004)

• Based upon the TESOL (pg. 5)• Developed for English Language learners

“To realize their personal, social, and long-term career goals, individuals will need to be able to communicate with others skillfully, appropriately, and effectively.” (p. 3)

Michigan English Language

Proficiency Standards • Clarify classroom assignments with teacher

and/or peers (L.1.4a)• Respond to messages by asking questions,

challenging statements or offering examples that affirm the message (L.2.4b)

• Interpret speaker’s messages, purposes, and perspectives (L.5.3.a)

Implementing Standards

in the Classroom • Where can teachers find resources to

support listening instruction?• Internet Resources – Starting with

Google– 100 websites

• 18% K-12 Education (5% actual lessons)• 78% Adult Learners

GOOGLE "LISTENING" SEARCH

0

5

10

15

20

25

1

Type of Sites Found

Nu

mb

er o

f S

ites

Fo

un

d

AssociationSites

Business

Collegiate

ESL

Interpersonal

Language ArtsResources

ParentingSkills

Sales

Student Study Skills

Teacher Lessons

Tests

Website Links

Table 1 Google “Listening Skills” Search

Source: Google search retrieved March 5, 2005, from http://www.google.com

Table 1WebQuests – LANGUAGE ARTS -- Listening Skills in Language Arts WebQuests

Type K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12

Top - Quality Total ViewedRe: Listening

60

270

440

620

Mid - Quality Total ViewedRe: Listening

60

170

230

170

New Total ViewedRe: Listening

310

1080

1560

1380

TotalViewed = 635

Total ViewedRe: Listening

430

1520

2230

2170

Source: Dodge, B. WebQuest website. San Diego State University. www.webquest.org

A variety of sites emphasize the importance of listening.

There were sites offering parents tips to help their child become a better listener.

The State of Texas Department of Human Resources recognizes the importance of effective listening skills.

Conclusions: • A gap exists between educational and

real-world expectations and:– A student’s K-12 experience– Instructional resources for teachers

• Improvement will not occur by accident

A Plan to Address the Problem is Needed:

• Increase Administrators’ Knowledge/Awareness of: – Importance of listening– Gaps in written/taught/tested curriculum– Research on best practice

• Modeling and practice (Goulden, 1998)• Ready to Learn curriculum (2003)• Discovery Listening (Wilson, 2003)• Models from music instruction (Cavner & Gould, 2003)

Written

Taught Tested

Plan to Address the Problem:

• Provide professional development focused on: – The skills of effective communication –

Process Communication Model (Kahler) – Strategies to improve communication effectiveness

as a building/district• Support administrators in leading the way as

effective communicators themselves– Model/practice effective communication

• Interpersonal Communication • Meetings • Disciplinary situations