Listening Skills Teaching Resources
Help students build good listening skills with printable and digital activities, games and more created by teachers for teachers just like you!
This collection of ELA resources was designed to help students become effective listeners to enhance their comprehension abilities and retain information more effectively throughout their educational journey.
From directed drawing challenges to true or false activities, this collection is packed with resources for elementary school teachers to build their students' overall communication abilities.
What Are Listening Skills? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Whether you're introducing the concept of listening skills for the first time in the classroom, or you're re-visiting them in the first few weeks of the new school year, a definition that kids can understand may come in handy. Here's one from our teacher team!
Listening skills are the abilities we use to pay attention to what others are saying, understand their words and respond in the right way.
Examples of Good Listening Skills for Kids
Do you need some specific examples of good listening skills that your students will find relatable? We've got those for you too!
- Staying Focused — Students can practice paying attention to the speaker and not moving on to another task.
- Taking Turns — Students should learn to wait for their turn to speak and not interrupt the teacher or classmates.
- Showing empathy — Listening attentively and demonstrating understanding and compassion towards others isn't just a listening skill. It's part of social awareness too!
- Understanding Details — Listening skills tie directly into comprehension skills and can be seen when students are able to show they grasped specific information and important details from what was said.
- Asking Questions — When students speak up to seek clarification or get additional information, it's a sign that they are listening and following along.
What Is Active Listening?
Have you heard the term active listening thrown about? It's a concept that was once popular in elementary schools as it focused on kids being "active" in the act of listening — making eye contact with the speaker, sitting still and providing feedback to the speaker by nodding or responding verbally to show they're being attentive.
However, with more and more neurodiverse students attending school who may not be able to (or find it uncomfortable to) make eye contact or stay still while someone is speaking, there's an increased move toward simply suggesting kids engage in full-body listening.
Rather than being required to make eye contact and keep hands and feet still, why not allow students to face their body toward the speaker and make use of fidget toys while listening?
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Listening to Others – Discussion Task Cards and Poster
Give students the opportunity to work on their listening skills and learn what it means to be a good listener with this set of 42 discussion cards and classroom poster.
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Back To School - Listening Skill Refresh Activity
Refresh student listening skills with a Back to School Listening Skill Refresh Slides and script.
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Whole Body Listening Posters
A set of posters highlighting the characteristics of a good listener.
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Add It In - Listen and Draw Active Listening Activity
Practice following directions to color and draw pictures with a printable listening activity worksheet pack.
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True or False? Active Listening Exercises
Improve listening skills in the classroom with an engaging True or False Active Listening Activity.
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Classmate Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
Build a classroom community and help your students get to know each other with a fun getting to know you activity.
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Color Me Carefully – Geometric Animals
Hone in on your students' speaking and listening skills with this barrier activity.
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Directed Drawing - How to Draw a Piece of Cake
Use this directed drawing activity of a piece of cake to help students develop their listening skills in the classroom.
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Is It True? Active Listening Activity
Improve listening skills in the classroom with an engaging 'Is It True?' Active Listening Activity.
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Soup, Salad, or Sandwich? Game - Interactive Icebreaker
Play the Soup, Salad, or Sandwich? Game for an exciting Back-to-School Icebreaker activity!
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Build a Calendar - Following Instructions Worksheets
Practice following directions and using a calendar with a pack of 12 printable calendar worksheets.
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Oink, Meow, Moo Icebreaker Game
Break the ice with your students on Day 1 with this silly movement game.
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Picture Puzzles - Team Building Activities
A set of 10 picture puzzles to use as a team-building activity.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Directed Drawing Worksheet
Bring a bit of art into the classroom this MLK Day with a “How to Draw a Martin Luther King, Jr.” directed drawing worksheet.
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Which One? – Listening Comprehension Exercise
An Interactive PowerPoint where students listen to a description and choose the matching image.
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Directed Drawing for Kids - How to Draw Corn on the Cob
Use this directed drawing activity with your students to teach them how to draw corn on the cob and enhance classroom listening.
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Directed Drawing Activity - How to Draw a Spider
Teach students how to draw a spider with a fun directed drawing activity for elementary students.
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This Is Me Task Cards
Get to know your students on the first days of a new school year with this fun getting-to-know-you game.
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Student-Led Discussion Strategies Poster Pack
Describe student-led discussion strategies with this set of 8 posters.
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Listen, Comprehend, and Color Worksheets
A listening comprehension exercise and art activity rolled into one.
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Secret Threading Task Cards
Practice listening and speaking skills with this fun barrier activity.
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Shopping Cart Matchup Activity
A speaking and listening activity to reinforce a variety of mathematical concepts.
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Find Four Icebreaker Activity
A fun icebreaker activity to use at the beginning of a new school year.
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I Can Listen Poster
A poster to scaffold appropriate behavior for students when listening in class.
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Interview a Classmate - First Day of School Activity
Help your students learn more about their new classmates (even if they have been together for the last 5 years) with this fun speaking and listening activity!
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One Word Story Active Game
A whole class active game that encourages creative thinking and teamwork.
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Directed Drawing Activity - How to Draw a Clown
Teach students how to draw a clown with a fun directed drawing activity created by teachers.
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Group Work Role Cards
Review and reinforce eight possible roles for group work with this set of 2-in-1 reusable posters and desk cards.
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Speaking and Listening Activities Task Cards
A set of 13 cards with instructions for speaking and listening activities.
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Color Me Carefully Game
Practice your students' listening and speaking skills with a fun coloring activity.
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How to Get Students to Follow Instructions the First Time — Teacher-Tested Tricks
Is following instructions a challenge for your students? Try these teacher-tested tips to help your students learn to listen and follow directions more closely.