Choose exam board for KS4 Computer Science (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 English
Choose exam board for KS4 French
Choose exam board for KS4 Geography
Choose exam board for KS4 German
Choose exam board for KS4 History
Choose tier for KS4 Maths
Choose exam board for KS4 Music
Choose exam board for KS4 Physical education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Religious education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Spanish

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can describe good listening skills and explain why this is important.

      Key learning points

      1. Listening is important for building connections with other people and for learning.
      2. Looking at someone speaking is important to show you're listening.
      3. Summarising what someone has said can also show good listening.
      4. Good listening involves listening to what people are saying and how they are saying it, this can reveal how they feel.

      Keywords

      • Listen - to hear and try to understand what someone is saying

      • Learn - to understand something new

      • Summarise - stating the key points of what someone has said

      • Carefully - in this context, being attentive and considerate

      Common misconception

      Being quiet while someone talks and not interrupting is the only way to show you're being a good listener.

      Being quiet is just the first step. Good listeners also pay attention to what the person is saying, look at them while they talk, and try to understand how they feel.

      Teacher tip

      Consider asking pupils how they can tell when someone isn't listening to them and how it makes them feel to highlight the importance of good listening.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

      Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

      Loading...

      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the words with their definition.

      Correct Answer:specific,something that is in precise detail and is clearly defined
      Correct Answer:feelings wheel,a visual representation of different feelings
      Correct Answer:metaphor,describing how we feel as something else, like an object or animal

      Q2.
      Emotions are ...

      our thoughts and opinions about things, like feeling proud of our drawing
      Correct answer: feelings we have inside, like happiness, sadness or anger
      when something changes or becomes something else
      feeling worried or nervous about something that may or may not happen

      Q3.
      Which statements are true?

      Correct answer: Being hungry and tired can affect how we feel.
      We should be happy all the time.
      Correct answer: Our emotions give us information about ourselves.
      Only some people get sad and angry.

      Q4.
      There are good feelings or bad feelings.

      Correct Answer: no, not

      Q5.
      Which of these is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010?

      Correct answer: having tattoos
      disability
      race (ethnicity)
      sexual orientation
      sex

      Q6.
      Even though there is still some around experiencing poor mental health, it is still important to talk about mental health and seek support if we need it.

      Correct Answer: stigma

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the words to their definition.

      Correct Answer:learn,to understand something new
      Correct Answer:summarise,stating the key points of what someone has said
      Correct Answer:carefully,in this context, being attentive and considerate

      Q2.
      It's important to to the people around us so that we can build connections.

      Correct Answer: listen

      Q3.
      Which statements are true?

      Good listeners look away from the other person when they're speaking.
      Correct answer: Good listeners focus on what people say and think about how they feel too.
      Correct answer: Good listeners pay attention to how people are speaking.
      We cannot tell how someone feels by what they say.

      Q4.
      How can we be a good listener?

      Correct answer: look at someone when they are speaking
      look at the floor when someone is speaking
      Correct answer: summarise what someone has said
      focus on what we are going to say next

      Q5.
      Sofia and Laura have had an argument. What could stop them from listening to each other?

      Correct answer: focusing on their own feelings
      Correct answer: taking what each other have said at face value
      taking time to calm down before listening
      being open to how the other person could feel

      Q6.
      What makes someone a good listener?

      just staying quiet while someone talks
      Correct answer: paying attention and understanding feelings too
      never asking any questions
      only listening to friends who are talking

      To help you plan your 7 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Listening skills, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...