Unit Plan 3 (Grade 1 Counselor): Listening Like a Learner
Teach Grade 1 students active listening, respectful responses, and school-success skills through stories, partner sharing, and three-step directions.
Focus: Teach students that listening is an active school-success skill. The counselor models what strong listening looks like during a 30-minute classroom lesson: eyes watching, body still enough to learn, ears listening, brain thinking, and mouth quiet when someone else is speaking. Students practice following a three-step direction, listening to a short story, and sharing one thing they heard.
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: School Counseling (Listening Skills • Respectful Responding • School Success)
Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This Grade 1 counseling lesson helps students understand that listening is more than being quiet. Listening is an active school-success skill that helps students learn directions, understand stories, care about classmates’ ideas, and participate safely in classroom routines.
The counselor introduces listening as something students do with their eyes, ears, body, brain, and mouth. Students practice what learner listening looks like during a short story, picture-card activity, partner share, and three-step direction. The lesson reinforces that respectful listening helps everyone feel heard, included, safe, and ready to learn.
Essential Questions
- What does strong listening look like in Grade 1?
- How can students listen with their eyes, ears, body, brain, and mouth?
- Why does listening help students learn and follow directions?
- How can students show respect when someone else is speaking?
- How do listening choices help the classroom stay safe and ready to learn?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify school-ready listening behaviors such as watching, listening, keeping the body calm enough to learn, thinking, and waiting to speak.
- Follow a simple three-step counselor lesson direction.
- Listen to a short story or scenario and share one thing they heard.
- Practice respectful partner listening and respond with care or attention.
- Explain how listening helps students learn, participate, stay safe, and respect others.
- (Optional Session) Apply listening skills through a story retell, listening game, partner share, or classroom routine practice.
Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (ASCA-based Custom)
- C:S5.1a — Practice Listening and Following Directions
- Use school-ready behaviors such as listening, watching, following directions, participating, and completing classroom routines.
- Example: A student follows a three-step counselor lesson direction: listen, choose a card, and share with a partner.
- C:S3.1c — Listen and Respond Respectfully
- Listen when others speak and respond in ways that show care, attention, and respect.
- Example: A student listens to a partner’s idea and says, “I heard you say you felt nervous too.”
- C:S6.1c — Make Safe, Respectful, and Responsible Choices
- Choose actions that help students and classmates stay safe, respectful, responsible, and ready to learn in classroom, hallway, playground, and group settings.
- Example: A student keeps their body safe during a story, waits for a turn to speak, and follows the counselor’s directions.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can show listening with my eyes, ears, body, brain, and mouth.
- I can follow a three-step direction.
- I can listen to a short story and tell one thing I heard.
- I can listen when a partner speaks.
- I can make safe and respectful choices while learning.