You will learn
- Listen with ears, eyes and a quiet body.
- Look at the speaker and wait for a turn to talk.
- Remember one or two things they heard.
- Say why listening helps us learn.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Good listeners use their ears and their eyes.
- Look at the person who is speaking.
- Keep your body and your voice quiet.
- Think about what you hear, then answer.
Words to know
to use your ears and think about what someone says
the person who is talking
making little or no sound
the time when it is your go
1. Discover: A story to start
Kofi’s teacher says, “Put your book in your bag, then stand in a line.” Kofi is looking at a bird outside the window. He does not hear the words. He is not sure what to do. Ayo listened, so Ayo knows.
Think: Who is a good listener, Kofi or Ayo? How do you know?
2. Understand: What good listeners do
Idea 1: Ears and eyes
We listen with our ears. We also use our eyes to look at the speaker. Looking at the speaker helps us understand.
Idea 2: Quiet body, quiet voice
A quiet body helps you hear. Keep your hands and feet still. Keep your voice off while someone speaks, and wait for your turn.
Idea 3: Think about it
Hearing happens by itself. Listening means paying attention and thinking about the words.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Is Kofi listening?
Kofi looks out of the window and talks to his friend while the teacher speaks.
- Is he looking at the speaker? No.
- Is he quiet? No.
- Is he thinking about the words? No.
Answer: Kofi is not listening.
Example 2 (We do it together): Is Ayo listening?
Ayo looks at the teacher, sits still and waits.
- Looking at the speaker? Yes.
- Quiet body? Yes.
- Thinking about the words? Yes.
Answer: Ayo is listening well.
Example 3 (You try): Fix it
Mina plays with her pencil while her friend tells a story. What should Mina do?
Show the steps and answer
- Put the pencil down.
- Look at her friend.
- Keep quiet and think about the story.
Answer: Mina should put the pencil down, look at her friend and listen.
Did you know?
Many classrooms teach a “listening position”: eyes on the speaker, quiet body and quiet voice.
Why this matters
When you listen well, you learn new words, follow instructions and stay safe.
4. Explore: Listen and Do
Play “Listen and Do” with a partner or the class.
- A leader says one action, such as “clap two times”.
- Listeners look at the leader and stay quiet.
- Do the action only after the leader finishes.
- Take turns to be the leader.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Did you do the right action when you listened to every word? Listening to the whole sentence helps us get it right.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A good listener ___.
- I look at the ___.
- I keep my ___ quiet.
- Listening helps me ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What do we use to listen?
Our ears. We also use our eyes to look at the speaker.
Question 2. What should your voice do when someone speaks?
It should be quiet.
Question 3. Why do we wait until the speaker finishes?
So we hear every word and understand.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Which body part do we use to hear?
- Where do your eyes look when someone speaks?
- Is a good listener loud or quiet?
- Name one thing a good listener does.
- Who is the speaker when your teacher talks?
Level 2: Grow
- Tom talks while the teacher speaks. Is he listening? Say why.
- Name two things you do with your body to listen well.
- What do you do after the speaker finishes?
Level 3: Stretch
- Your friend tells you about her day. Say two things you do to show you are listening.
- Why is listening more than hearing?
- The teacher says, “Open your book to page 4.” Ben opens it to page 5. What went wrong?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Think of a time at home when someone gave you a job. How can good listening help you do it well?
Show a sample answer
My mother asks me to bring water and a cup. I look at her and wait until she finishes, so I bring both.
Another one. Say what a good listener looks like.
Show a sample answer
A good listener sits still, looks at the speaker, has a quiet mouth and thinks about the words.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Look at the speaker. Your eyes help your ears.
Fix: Wait. You can speak when it is your turn.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can listen with my ears and eyes.
- I can keep a quiet body and voice.
- I can remember what I heard.
- I can say why listening helps me.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Good listeners use ears and eyes.
- Keep a quiet body and voice.
- Think about what you hear.
- Wait for your turn to speak.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Understanding spoken words. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name two things a good listener does. [2 marks]
- What do we use to listen? [1 mark]
- Write one sentence about why listening is important. [2 marks]
- Kofi talks while the teacher speaks. What should he do? Give one reason. [2 marks]
- The teacher says, “Clap two times, then touch your head.” What do you do first and what next? [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Any two: looks at the speaker [1]; keeps a quiet voice or body [1]; thinks about the words.
- ears [1]
- A sentence about learning or following instructions [1]; a complete sentence with a capital letter and full stop [1]
- Keep quiet and listen [1]; he cannot hear the words otherwise [1]
- Clap two times first [1]; touch your head next [1]; keeps the order [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- We listen with our ___.
- A good listener looks at the ___.
- Keep your voice ___ when others speak.
- True or false: you may talk while the teacher speaks.
- Name one place where you need to listen.
- Choose: loud or quiet. A good listener is ___.
- Who is the good listener: Ayo looks and waits, or Kofi plays?
- What do you do after the speaker finishes?
- Draw your eyes and ears.
- Say one sentence about listening.
Homework
At home, ask a family member to give you a three-step job. Listen carefully, then do it in order. Tell what you did.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. We listen with our ___. | ears | 1 |
| 2. A good listener looks at the ___. | speaker | 1 |
| 3. Keep your voice ___ when others speak. | quiet | 1 |
| 4. True or false: you may talk while the teacher speaks. | false | 1 |
| 5. Name one place where you need to listen. | school, home or the market | 1 |
| 6. Choose: loud or quiet. A good listener is ___. | quiet | 1 |
| 7. Who is the good listener: Ayo looks and waits, or Kofi plays? | Ayo | 1 |
| 8. What do you do after the speaker finishes? | answer or do the job | 1 |
| 9. Draw your eyes and ears. | a drawing of eyes and ears | 1 |
| 10. Say one sentence about listening. | any correct sentence about listening | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 ears; 2 at the speaker; 3 quiet; 4 looks at the speaker, keeps quiet or thinks about the words; 5 the teacher. Level 2: 1 no, because he is talking instead of keeping quiet; 2 sit still and look at the speaker; 3 answer or do the job. Level 3: 1 look at her and keep quiet; then answer or ask a question; 2 you also pay attention and think about the words; 3 Ben did not listen to every word.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Listen with ears, eyes and a quiet body | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Look at the speaker and wait for a turn to talk | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Remember one or two things they heard | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say why listening helps us learn | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “I can listen while I look at something else.” Look at the speaker. Your eyes help your ears.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Practise “Listen and Do” with one simple action, then two actions.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns how to be a good listener. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Give your child two-step jobs at home.
- Ask your child to tell you what you just said.
- Praise careful listening.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: listen with ears, eyes and a quiet body; look at the speaker and wait for a turn to talk; remember one or two things they heard; say why listening helps us learn.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to hear and respond to simple spoken words.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the Kofi and Ayo story and ask who listened.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the three ideas with actions: ears, eyes and a quiet body.
Guided activity (10 min). Play “Listen and Do” as a class, then in pairs.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners complete the practice, then share one sentence about listening.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Who is the speaker? What should my eyes and voice do? What did I hear?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use one-step actions and pictures. Extension. Ask learners to pass on a short message to a friend.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “I can listen while I look at something else.” Look at the speaker. Your eyes help your ears.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Practise “Listen and Do” with one simple action, then two actions. Enrichment. Play “Listen and Do” with three actions and ask a friend to check. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.1.1 and SL.1.2 (listening to others, and asking and answering questions about information presented orally); Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (listening and speaking). These sources informed the lesson.