Listening skills form part of the foundation of any successful student’s repertoire of abilities. Crucial to academic performance and success throughout life, attentive listening can transform students’ ability to absorb and understand information quickly and efficiently.
In Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners, journalist, entrepreneur, and author Monica Brady-Myerov delivers an insightful and practical examination of how to build powerful listening skills in K-12 students. The book incorporates the Lexile Framework for Listening and explains why it is revolutionizing the field of listening and contributing to a surging recognition of its importance in the academic curriculum. It also includes firsthand classroom stories and incisive teacher viewpoints that highlight effective strategies to teach critical listening skills.
You’ll discover real-world examples and modern, research-based advice on how to assist young people in improving their listening abilities and overall academic performance. You’ll also find personal anecdotes from the accomplished and experienced author alongside accessible excerpts from the latest neuroscience research covering listening and auditory learning.
Listen Wise explains why listening skills in students are crucial to improving reading skills, especially amongst those students still learning English. The book is a critical resource that demonstrates why listening is the missing piece of the literary puzzle and shows educators exactly what they can do to support students in the development of this key skill.
Perfect for K-12 teachers looking for effective new ways to understand their students and how they learn, Listen Wise will also earn a place in the libraries of college and master’s level students in education programs readying themselves for a career in teaching
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
How This Book Is Organized 2
1 My Love of Audio Storytelling 7
What Audio Journalism Taught Me About Listening 10
The Intimacy of Audio 10
Writing for Listening 14
Audio and Learning a Language 15
Podcast Revolution 18
Creating Listenwise 19
Reflection and Planning 21
2 Listening Is a Skill 23
Why Listening Matters 24
Listening Matters in K-12 Instruction 32
Testing Listening 35
Effective Listening in College 40
Valued Listening at Work 41
Listenwise Core Values 43
Personal Relationships Are Strengthened by Listening 44
Reflection and Planning 47
3 This Is Your Brain on Listening 51
Transporting: How Hearing/Listening Works 52
Transfixing: Listening and Memory 59
Transforming: Listening and Emotions 66
Reflection and Planning 70
4 How to Teach Listening 77
Build Awareness 78
Types of Listening 82
Modeling Good Listening 89
Applying Listening Practice 91
The Mental Process of Listening: Metacognitive Skills 97
Where to Listen 99
Reflection and Planning 101
5 The Intersection Between Listening and Reading 105
Better Listeners = Better Readers 106
Supports for Listening Literacy 108
Reflection and Planning 126
6 English Learners and Listening 133
Language Learning and Listening 134
Before Listening 139
During Listening 150
Audio Transcript 151
Slowed Audio 152
Close Listening 153
After Listening 156
Listening Is the Equalizer 158
Reflection and Planning 159
7 Assessing Listening 165
Standardizing Listening Tests 166
Testing Listening with ELs 170
Creating Formative Listening Tests 173
Developing a Listening Scale 180
The Future of Listening 188
8 Creating Podcasts 191
Podcasting in Education 192
The Podcast Explosion 194
Podcast Creation Deepens Learning 197
Recording and Editing Tools 212
Reflection and Planning 214
Index 217
