Gather a box of toys and stuffed animals in which some items have a common characteristic, such as color. Provide an oral description of one of the items, letting the children know that you will give the description only once, so they should listen carefully. Provide specific details that will help the students identify the mystery object. Select a student and have him find the object you described. Ask the class if the student found the correct item and ask how they know. Allow the students to take turns providing the description of an item to give them practice developing concise descriptions.
Create a simple drawing of an animal, bug or other object, without showing it to the participants. Provide oral instructions to draw the object, asking the students to complete each step as you give it. Show the class your drawing, and allow each student to share her drawing. Compare the drawings to see how they are the same or different.
Select two volunteers for the demonstration. Ask each to give directions to get to another room in the building. With the first student, use active listening skills, such as good eye contact, showing interest, positive body language, and restating or asking questions to clarify. Demonstrate poor listening skills with the second student. Avoid making eye contact, act uninterested, play with your hair or a toy, turn your body away from the student, and don't ask any questions. Ask the class to compare the two conversations. Use their observations to create a list of active listening skills they should employ on a regular basis. Assign each student a partner and allow the pairs to practice active listening skills during a conversation with each other.
Play a recording of an old radio show. Listening to the radio requires the students to listen carefully to keep up with the plot. A similar option is to read a chapter book aloud to the students. Ask review questions as you read the book to ensure the students are using active listening skills. Another assessment option is to ask the students to put the story in their own words.