Eva Slapnik holds a Master's in Primary School Education and teaches at the primary school level. She also completed a module for early English teaching. She enjoys teaching pupils, preparing them to think outside the box, and passing on knowledge that will come in handy in their future. Email: eva.slapnik1@guest.arnes.si

 

Abstract

At the beginning of school, in the first three years of primary school, listening and speaking are more present than writing and reading. Pupils can be taught to listen carefully with appropriate didactic play. Didactic play is indispensable at the primary level, as it makes many classes more varied, attractive and interesting. In this article, we presented the games we performed during distance learning, where we consolidated and trained listening.

 

Introduction

Listening is a receptive activity. L. Plut Pregelj (1990, p. 10) emphasizes that listening is a fundamental language communication activity in school, because as much as 60% of all student time in primary school is devoted to listening activities.

Listening is developed by children directly in the teaching of Slovene, and indirectly in all other subjects. The role of the teacher is very important here. The teacher is a role model for them, so it is important that the teacher also knows how to listen carefully to the student and acknowledge any mistakes.

The teacher can directly develop students' listening by following the concrete goal of improving listening activities through practice, or indirectly by teaching the material itself (Plut Pregelj, 2012, p. 167).

The child is accustomed to everything revolving around him or her and finds it difficult to listen carefully and overcome his or her desire to interrupt. Pupils need to be taught through appropriate play to become attentive listeners. Attention exercises, concentration and courtesy exercises are needed. The ability of auditory discernment and analysis is a condition of successful literacy. Some children come to school with more developed listening skills than others. For the latter, listening must first be developed. Through play, which is the most appropriate form in this period, this can be easily achieved.

At the primary level, didactic play is an indispensable activity. Bognar (1987) summed up Pregrad's words: “Play is a natural and necessary form of activity for a young person. With it, physical and mental abilities and characteristics are developed and formed. This form is so natural and so necessary that it has no equal in the life of a young person, except in abnormal cases of defects and abnormal temporary circumstances.” (Bognar, 1987, p. 26).

He also summed up Furlan's words: “Not only can a child learn during play, but play probably also learns best during play, which is perfectly understandable. Incentives that apply to adults do not apply to children. Especially not for those in the first grade… Even if we teach as if we were playing, and if the result of learning is important for success in the game, then it is certain that the child will be as motivated as possible and such learning will be very successful.” (Ibid., P. 27).

Teachers use games at their discretion. Literature is very helpful in this. By no means should play be an end in itself. It should always help us achieve some set goal.

The following are some of the games we use to develop pupils' listening skills. Games can be played in class at school, and with some minor adjustments also successfully at a distance. Experience has shown that pupils were more motivated to continue working in distance learning after the game and also became more attentive listeners.

 

To school

We tell pupils the story of how they went to school. We include their names in the narration. When the pupil hears his or her name, he or she performs the agreed movement exercise (waves hand, gets up and jumps, gets up and rotates around his or her axis and sits down again…). Example: “While waiting for the bus, Klemen was reading a book for the Reading Badge recommended to him by his classmate Anja.” When Klemen hears his name, he waves his hand and when Anja hears her name, she gets up and jumps. We tell such a story to include all the pupils in it. If we say, “pupils go to / from school,” all pupils perform their particular movement exercise.

 

Forming a sentence

We have prepared cards with the names of the pupils. When we pick up a card with the pupil's name, that pupil says the first word, or the beginning of the sentence. Then we pick up a new name card. This pupil repeats the previous word and adds his or her meaningful word and so we continue to the end of the meaningful sentence.

 

Capital letter

We utter words and pupils do a pre-arranged movement exercise when they hear a word written with a capital letter.

 

Guess what I have in mind

Before the game begins, each pupil writes or draws an object of their choice on a piece of paper. The choice can be left to the pupils or they can be partially directed when choosing the object (the object starts with a certain letter, it must be of a certain shape, color, etc.). We throw slips of pupils' names into the bag. We randomly select the name sheets and the called pupil describes his or her object. Other pupils try to find out what the object is with the help of a description.

 

Where

We provide instructions and pupils place the ball or doll in the appropriate place: under the table, on the shelf, to the right of the pen, in front of the notebook… Of course, we provide such instructions that objects are always in the camera's field of view so that we can check whether the object is in the right place.

 

Birds

We narrate sentences. Pupils move freely around the room where they are located. When we say the word bird, the name of a bird, or a word that reminds us of birds, pupils sit on the floor (we choose different pre-arranged spaces).

 

Stand up – sit down

When we say a word written with a lowercase letter, pupils sit down and when we say a word with a capital letter, they stand. Whoever makes a mistake sits on a chair and watches the game continue.

 

School supplies

We list the words. Pupils listen. If the word represents school supplies, they are facing the teacher. If the subject is not a school supply, they turn their backs on the teacher.

 

Singing

In the choir we sing a song we all know. If the teacher applauds once, we sing quietly, if he or she strikes the ground with his or her foot, we sing forward in our minds, if he or she raises his or her hand, we sing the song loudly. During the song, we change commands.

 

Listening and remembering in the dark

The teacher turns off the camera. Pupils listen for a while to what is going on around them. The teacher carries out the following activities: jingling keys, crumpling or tearing paper, hitting the table with a pencil… Pupils try to identify with what and how a particular sound was made.

 

Drawing following instructions

We send a picture to one pupil. We let him or her have a short time to think, then he or she begins to describe the picture so that the other members can draw it. They must not ask any questions. Pupils then show the end drawing.

 

Relaxation through listening

The pupils sit and close their eyes. The teacher guides them with the words “Let’s take an imaginary box out of our pocket. Let's open it. We take a balloon out of it. We carry it to our mouths and inflate it, inflate it and inflate it. We grab it and slowly let all the air out of it. Put it back in the box and put the box back in your pocket.”

 

Conclusion

Listening is an important communication activity, which we develop indirectly in all subjects, and directly in the teaching of Slovene. In this article, we have presented some examples of games that develop pupils' listening in a fun way and can be performed in school, and with minor adjustments also in distance learning. Pupils love to play the games written above and are extremely creative during the game, as they often invent new games or enrich the games they already know.

 

Literature

Bognar, L. (1987). Igra pri otroku. Ljubljana: DZS.

Plut Pregelj, L. (1990). Učenje ob poslušanju. Ljubljana: DZS.

Plut Pregelj, L. (2012). Poslušanje. Ljubljana: DZS.

 

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