Instructional Strategies for Teaching with Listenwise
We've created choice boards to help you explore different ways to implement Listenwise Premium based on your students' needs and your instructional goals:
Check out the Instructional Strategies section of our Support Center for additional ideas and see examples from teachers who use Listenwise in a variety of ways.
How to Integrate Listenwise into Instruction
Listenwise Tools
Platform Supports
Interactive transcript and slowed audio help improve comprehension. (1 min)
Instructional Supports
Lessons include teacher guides, questions, and organizers for flexible use. (4 min)
Written Assignments
Customize the supports and questions students see. Create multiple versions for groups of students! (3 min)
Quizzes
Auto-graded, multiple-choice quizzes provide insight into students' listening comprehension skills. These are a teacher favorite! (2 min)
Content Suggestions
Standards-aligned Lessons
Use a podcast to supplement your curriculum in ELA, Social Studies or Science.
Weird News
These 30-second fun and quirky stories feature academic vocabulary words. They're a great "do now" or class warm up, and perfect for ELs.
Collections
Explore our curated story collections on popular themes you're teaching like Seeking Justice.
Debate Friday
Friday's current events feature issues debated in the public sphere. Practice critical thinking & argument skills with a class debate or writing prompt.
Instructional Ideas
Listening Quizzes
Assign a weekly quiz for an asynchronous listening activity. There's a new quiz every Wednesday!
Introduce a New Topic
Keep it simple and listen as a class! Hook students' interest in a new curriculum topic and facilitate a group discussion (every story has listening comprehension and discussion questions).
Teaching SEL with Podcasts
Address social and emotional competencies with engaging real-world stories. Explore our SEL Collection.
Teacher Stories
Check out our YouTube channel for dozens of teacher stories and learn from others' best practices!
Lesson Ideas
Listenwise is flexible! Combine synchronous and asynchronous activities to have students delve deeper into content.
Supporting English Learners with Listenwise
Platform Scaffolds
Interactive Transcript
Students can listen and read at the same time! Expand vocabulary and increase comprehension. (1 min)
Instructional Scaffolds
Lessons include vocabulary lists and scaffolding to support close listening and building background. (4 min)
Differentiated Assignments
Customize the supports, organizers and questions students see for each Listenwise assignment. Use them to introduce a topic or review content after listening as a class. (2 min)
Build Academic Language & Listening Skills
Language + Content Practice
Master content & language objectives by using one podcast per week and meet multiple learning goals.
Listenwise ELD Lessons
Support emergent ELs with our new multimodal lessons that include embedded paired videos, Spanish language supports and differentiation strategies.
Whole Group Listening
Scaffold by pre-teaching vocab and listening together (with the transcript). Multiple listens help develop listening skills and build students' language confidence!
Build Critical Listening Skills
Use the “Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then” strategy to help student summarize the podcast.
Assess Listening Skills
Quizzes provide insight into students' performance across key listening skills and offer great test prep.
Speaking & Listening Practice
Reflection Protocols
Each ELD lesson includes a protocol to help students work together to answer questions about the podcast. More on the lesson resources below:
Stronger + Clearer Each Time
Help students strengthen & clarify academic ideas and practice academic conversations in small groups.
Practice Retelling with Weird News
These 30-second stories are a quick and quirky way to practice listening and speaking skills. They offer a great test prep tool, too! (3 min)
Teaching SEL with Listenwise Podcasts
Core Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies
Elementary Recommendations
1. Self-Awareness
2. Self-Management
3. Social Awareness
4. Relationship Skills
5. Responsible Decision Making
What is something you wish others knew about you or your family that is unique or interesting?
Basketball and Bullies in “The Great Wall of Lucy Wu
What routines help you to relax when you are feeling stressed?
Weird News: Relaxing with Bees
Why do some kids lie? Is it ever ok to lie?
Escape Goat
How did one teenager’s appreciation for his mother grow as a result of volunteering?
Weird News: Teens Grocery Shop for Elderly
Have you ever done something you regretted, then repented and tried to fix it? What happened?
Weird News: The Ketchup Thief
Secondary Recommendations
1. Self-Awareness
2. Self-Management
3. Social Awareness
4. Relationship Skills
5. Responsible Decision Making
Have you ever been judged based on the way you look? What were the circumstances, and how did it make you feel?
Running While Black
Have you ever been “swept up in other people’s wants” for you? How do you figure out what’s right for you, even if it’s different from what others want for you?
Michelle Obama on Becoming
How might using singular “they” affect our thoughts or actions?
Pronouns for All
Do you think you and your friends would have to practice having conversations with people you don’t know?
Teaching Millennial Police Officers to Communicate
How can sports team names, mascots, images, and fan gestures cause harm?
Washington DC NFL Team Changes Its Name