Memory games such as I Spy and I Went to a Picnic have been around for a long time and they have been used to help a child listen and remember. These games go in turns and follow the alphabet. The I Spy game uses things the child can see from where he sits. The first will say, “I spy artwork” or something else that he sees; the second will say, “I spy artwork and a banner,” the third, “I spy artwork, a banner and chalk.” I Went to a Picnic follows a similar format, but this time listing items that are taken along on a picnic, such as "an apple," "a blanket," "a cake," etc. The best listeners will advance to the end of the game.
Lead children in a discussion of their favorite songs, asking why they like them and what some of the lyrics are. Next ask them what kind of lyrics might be in a song about a particular subject. Choose topics like love, friendship, family or any other subject. Have the students brainstorm briefly, writing some of their answers on the board before playing a song on the chosen subject. After listening to the song, have the children tell what they liked and didn’t like and what could have been changed or added to make the song better.
Listening circles and games like Pass the Whisper and Gossip (there are probably other names for the game) all require individuals in the circle to listen to what is being whispered and pass it on to the next person, in a whisper. When it comes to the end of the circle, the last person says aloud what was whispered. The words whispered should not be a famous saying or popular song. It should something suitable to the age group in length and context. The teacher might whisper something like: “I baked chocolate chip cookies last night for my children and a few of my friends,” for younger children. For older children another sentence could be added. In the end, someone might have changed the “baked” to “made” or the “few” to “two.” Soon they’ll learn to listen more carefully.
Children love to tell stories about what happened on the playground, in the lunchroom or on a field trip. In this story time game, each child takes a turn adding a sentence to the story. Have one of them write the sentences that each child gives. The teacher can start the story with a sentence like: “My day started out great because I knew we were going on a field trip.” The next student adds a sentence, and the next and so on until every child has had the opportunity to add a few sentences. In the end, discuss the story and then read the story back to the class.