Activity 2-3:
Listening Well

Purposes: This actively introduces the importance of listening well in order to promote effective communication.

Materials
Handout 5, Handout 6

Process
Introduce the activity by telling participants that while they are, no doubt, good listeners, you'd like to share with them some techniques that will help them refine their listening abilities.

Recruit two volunteers for a role play. Give each the appropriate cue card from Handout 5, Listening Well Cue cards. Have the two volunteers stand in front of the group and act out their parts.

Stop the role play after about three minutes and thank the volunteers. Lead a discussion using the following questions:

(To the speaker)

Did you feel well listened to?
What let you know that the other person was listening?
What changed?

 (to the rest of the group)

What did you observe?
What are some of the ways that people show interest in what you are saying?

Ask participants to each think about a time when they felt that someone really listened to them. Allow a few minutes of quiet for this reflection. Then ask several participants to share their stories and to explain what it was that made them feel like they were being heard.

Conclude the discussion by saying that there are three essential elements to good listening:

  1. You must be open to the conversation- that is, you must be willing, and appear willing, to listen.
  2. You must pay attention. Paying attention helps you focus on what is said, and it lets the other person know you are really listening.
  3. You must offer feedback. by restating what you hear the other person say, you let the other person know that you are truly listening. Feedback also confirms to that person that you have properly understood. Finally, feedback allows the other person to reflect on what he or she has said.

Introduce the next segment of this activity by telling participants that they are going to have an opportunity to refine their communication skills by mastering three forms of feedback.

Note that many people in the group may be familiar with the basic format of feedback, which is to say something like, "What I hear you saying is...." or "Did I understand you correctly when you said...." Because they are so familiar, however, these lines can sometimes sound artificial and forced. In this activity, participants will be able to practice using feed back in a more tailored and personalized way.

Distribute Handout 6, Feedback. Review the descriptions of the three forms of feedback. Note that all three types of feedback may be used in a single conversation. However, they each have a distinct purpose:

Tell participants that the group is going to practice these listening skills by doing some one-line role plays. Say that you will play the role of a parent and make a statement that requires feedback. Ask for a volunteer to join you at the front of the groups As you make each statement, the volunteer should respond using the appropriate form of feedback. Invite other members of the group to add their suggestions for appropriate feed back.

These role plays don't have to go any further than your statement and participants' suggested responses. However, if a conversation develops using effective feedback, keep the role play going.

Here are some possible conversation openers you could use:

(Statement needing factual feedback) My daughter is not acting like her self lately.
(Statement needing emotional feedback) She's driving me crazy.
(Statements needing solution-focused feedback) Maybe she should go live with her grandmother for awhile.

(Statement needing factual feedback) I don't think I passed my GED test.
(Statement needing emotional feedback) The thought of taking that test again makes me sick.
(Statements needing solution-focused feedback) I don't know if I should keep trying or not.

(Statement needing factual feedback) My landlord told me he's going to sell our house.
(Statement needing emotional feedback) I'm so tired of moving!
(Statements needing solution-focused feedback) I want to buy my own place.


Trainers Preparation Notes:
Before the workshop, prepare several sets of statements, tailored to your group, to use for this feedback practice sessions.

Tell participants that you would like them to use this opportunity to practice conversations from real-life situations. Have participants suggest a parent-staff situation, and ask for two volunteers to stand in front of the group to do the role play. Remind the group of the essential elements of listening: being open to a conversation, paying attention, and offering feedback.

After each role play, ask the group to comment on how each volunteer demonstrated listening skills. Ask for any suggestions on other ways the conversation could have been handled.

Debriefing
Ask for someone in the group to restate the essential elements of listening. Once someone has, ask for someone else to list the three forms of feed back. Thank them, and encourage participants to try out their newly refined listening skills at Head Start and at home.

Module 2 | Activity 2-2 | Activity 2-4

Head Start National Library Collection | BMCC Home