I never want to be the tone-deaf person that does not hear the heart-cry of students or of anyone for that matter. Two books I used this week with my second-grade students helped me and my students to consider what it means to truly listen to another person. The first book we read is called The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld.
We took time in small groups to discuss how the rabbit acted differently than the other characters We took notes on what the rabbit’s listening looked like.
Our second reading selection was Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker. For those of you not familiar with Evelyn Glennie, her story clearly shows that listening is not just a function of ears, but of the heart and soul.
After learning Evelyn’s story, the students were asked to add to their description of listening by making a thinking map using words or pictures. I only see my students for 45 minutes, but if I had had more time, I think clay, Lego, or paper models of listening would be an interesting next step.
I have been absent from this blog since 2020, but my New Year’s resolution for 2023 is to post every Friday. I hope teachers, librarians, parents and just plain people can enjoy my musing on children and children’s books. See you next Friday.
makingthinkinglearning 