How to Listen Better

"The classroom is the place to learn, and the classroom is the place to listen."
-William H. Armstrong

Listening is one of the most important skills you can develop to do better in school.

• It is the second most difficult skill. Reading is the most difficult.
• Form a good habit - good listening in class!
• Concentrate on what is going on in class - do not daydream.
• You cannot listen if you are talking!

Before class - think about what the class is going to be about

• What were the main points covered in the last class?
• Review what your assignment was for the class.

During class - relate what you have already learned to what is being taught

• Did your homework have anything to do with the subject being taught during this class?
• Did your reading have anything to do with the subject?
• Does your general knowledge provide any information about the subject being taught?
• What comes to mind during the instruction?
• Concentrate on the subject being taught.
• Take notes on the main points.

After class, review your notes and think about what was covered in class. Some people like to rewrite their notes.

• Some people like to underline and highlight important ideas and vocabulary.
• If you have a choice, try to sit near the front of the class -- you can usually listen better if you are in the front.

Learning to listen - more details

• Good listening means you are paying attention.
• Try to hear what is said, not what you want to hear.
• Think "around" the topic and "between the lines."
• Relate it to what you already know.
• What is the main point?
• What is likely to be on the test?
• What is the teacher going to say next?
• Listen carefully to what the teacher says about an assignment and write it down in your assignment notebook right away.

Listen for these essential phrases from the teacher:

• "This is important…"
• "It is essential that you know this…"
• "You will need to know this for the test…"

Do not confuse listening with hearing.

• You can hear something but not be listening: "In one ear and out the other."
• To listen you must be thinking. Listening is an active, not passive activity.