Listening skills form part of the foundation of any successful students repertoire of abilities. Crucial to academic performance and success throughout life, attentive listening can transform students ability to absorb and understand information quickly and efficiently.

InListen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners, journalist, entrepreneur, and author Monica Brady-Myerov delivers an insightful and practical examination of how to build powerful listening skills in K-12 students. The book incorporates the Lexile Framework for Listening and explains why it is revolutionizing the field of listening and contributing to a surging recognition of its importance in the academic curriculum. It also includes firsthand classroom stories and incisive teacher viewpoints that highlight effective strategies to teach critical listening skills.

Youll discover real-world examples and modern, research-based advice on how to assist young people in improving their listening abilities and overall academic performance. Youll also find personal anecdotes from the accomplished and experienced author alongside accessible excerpts from the latest neuroscience research covering listening and auditory learning.

Listen Wise explains why listening skills in students are crucial to improving reading skills, especially amongst those students still learning English. The book is a critical resource that demonstrates why listening is the missing piece of the literary puzzle and shows educators exactly what they can do to support students in the development of this key skill.

Perfect for K-12 teachers looking for effective new ways to understand their students and how they learn,Listen Wise will also earn a place in the libraries of college and masters level students in education programs readying themselves for a career in teaching

MONICA BRADY-MYEROV is an award-winning NPR journalist, listening expert, and entrepreneur. She founded Listenwise, which offers a curated collection of public radio stories and podcasts tailored to K-12 classrooms and focused on building students listening skills. She is also a thought leader and sought-after speaker in the listening space.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

How This Book Is Organized 2

1My Love of Audio Storytelling 7

What Audio Journalism Taught Me About Listening 10

The Intimacy of Audio 10

Writing for Listening 14

Audio and Learning a Language 15

Podcast Revolution 18

Creating Listenwise 19

Reflection and Planning 21

2Listening Is a Skill 23

Why Listening Matters 24

Listening Matters in K12 Instruction 32

Testing Listening 35

Effective Listening in College 40

Valued Listening at Work 41

Listenwise Core Values 43

Personal Relationships Are Strengthened by Listening 44

Reflection and Planning 47

3 This Is Your Brain on Listening 51

Transporting: How Hearing/Listening Works 52

Transfixing: Listening and Memory 59

Transforming: Listening and Emotions 66

Reflection and Planning 70

4How to Teach Listening 77

Build Awareness 78

Types of Listening 82

Modeling Good Listening 89

Applying Listening Practice 91

The Mental Process of Listening: Metacognitive Skills 97

Where to Listen 99

Reflection and Planning 101

5The Intersection Between Listening and Reading 105

Better Listeners = Better Readers 106

Supports for Listening Literacy 108

Reflection and Planning 126

6English Learners and Listening 133

Language Learning and Listening 134

Before Listening 139

During Listening 150

Audio Transcript 151

Slowed Audio 152

Close Listening 153

After Listening 156

Listening Is the Equalizer 158

Reflection and Planning 159

7 Assessing Listening 165

Standardizing Listening Tests 166

Testing Listening with ELs 170

Creating Formative Listening Tests 173

Developing a Listening Scale 180

The Future of Listening 188

8Creating Podcasts 191

Podcasting in Education 192

The Podcast Explosion 194

Podcast Creation Deepens Learning 197

Recording and Editing Tools 212

Reflection and Planning 214

Index 217