First- and second-grade students have been participating in Listening Center. During this class, children listen to a story without looking at the pictures. While listening, they draw a picture related to what they hear in the story. They may begin drawing at any time and often continue after the story ends.
Sometimes, we play the story a second time to help clarify what they heard or to discuss certain parts of the story in more detail. During the last 5–10 minutes of class, the children share their drawings and explain them to the group.
Listening Center helps students practice listening to auditory information, following a storyline, maintaining focus without visual cues, writing and drawing about a topic, and reflecting on and discussing the story afterward. The drawings will be compiled into a book to be given back to the student at the end of the year.
