A colleague of mine in the past introduced me to the concept of “whole body listening.” She knew of someone that went to a workshop where it was discussed and she incorporated the concepts into her speech room. Since that day (many moons ago) I always begin my school year by introducing my students to “whole body listening.” Using Boardmaker and other crafty resources, I made some visuals but I have been eyeing the Whole Body Listening Larry books which is part of the Social Thinking Products by Michelle Garcia Winner. Both books were written by Kristen Wilson and Elizabeth Sautter. I was THRILLED when they offered to send me their two books to check out and review for you. I am SO excited to bring these in and begin the school year by reading them to my students! Keep reading to learn more!
Whole Body Listening Larry at School
- Character traits
- Wh- questions (“Who is not listening?” “Where are they now?” “Why should you listen to the teacher?”)
- Key story elements: characters, setting, problem, solution
- Social skills: What would you say to the twins? How should you listen during conversations and why?
- Sort right way vs. wrong way of behaviors and make a chart on board/chart paper
- Answering questions
- Role playing/social skills
- Character traits
- Summarizing
- Parent involvement
- Repetition
- and more!