How can podcasts teach SEL skills? Can podcasts provide opportunities for teachers to integrate the CASEL framework in their classroom? Absolutely, according to California social studies teacher Dr. Scott Petri. In 2021, we hosted a webinar with Dr. Petri where he shared practical teaching strategies for using podcasts to teach SEL skills to students. Did…
We recently held a webinar with author, educator, and multilingual thought leader Valentina Gonzalez, “Building the Listening-Reading Connection for Multilinguals.” In this webinar, Gonzalez shared her valuable perspective on teaching both reading and listening skills to English language learners. Additionally, she shared two classroom strategies for teachers who want to leverage podcasts to deepen their…
Educators who teach language arts content and English learners (ELs) are successfully implementing Listenwise podcasts as audio texts that their students use to practice strategies that build literacy skills. Using podcasts as texts provides equitable access to students who struggle to read, as they may be more easily able to acquire information, build vocabulary, and…
Listenwise’s design provides equitable educational opportunities for special education students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 accommodations. A Listenwise user from South Carolina said: “I’m a Special Education teacher and I love the easy-to-use audio file and transcript—it has built-in accommodations for all students!” Check out the list below to learn more about Listenwise’s…
We hosted an EdWeb webinar to share how educators can teach listening skills to promote literacy, including five research-based listening skills exercises that work for all students. Some of the practices are especially effective for English learners and students with learning differences. You can read our five listening skills exercises below, or click here to…
Listenwise has published seven new collections that explore aspects of people’s identities: Black and African American Stories; Latino and Hispanic American Stories; Asian American and Pacific Islander Stories; Native American Stories; LGBTQ+ Stories; Stories of People with Disabilities; Women Making History. Our content philosophy guides our story curation and the instructional materials we create. Our new collections can be used to…
Many educators who use Listenwise report that they love Weird News! These are less-than-30-second current event podcasts about unusual current events that are published every Sunday. They include academic vocabulary words featured in the stories, which are incorporated into the accompanying comprehension and discussion questions. Teachers can focus on one or more of these featured…
We’ve curated three collections to engage your students in meaningful conversations! Our new Youth Voices Collections feature kids and teens speaking about their perspectives, innovations, and civic action. We are excited about these three collections because they include stories that appeal to elementary listeners as well as stories for secondary listeners. Additionally, we’ve learned from…
During our Teacher Talks webinar series last fall, we spoke with Erin Reaves, an English Language Development (ELD) instructional coach at Taylor Elementary in Santa Maria Bonita, CA about how she leads teachers to use Listenwise, not as a supplement, but as the core of instruction for a week of lessons in ELD classes. Reaves…
Talk of fake news is everywhere but how do you begin to teach about it in the classroom? Start with an exploration of the rise of fake news, and why kids should care. Then, delve into the media literacy skills that students need to evaluate news critically. Teaching your students about fake news and how…