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Active Listening and Clarifying Questions
This lesson teaches you how to listen closely to what someone says and how to ask a clarifying question when you need more details or do not understand a part. You will practice asking questions like what, where, and how to check your understanding.
What Is Active Listening?
Active listening means you listen with your whole body, not just your ears. You look at the speaker. You keep your hands and feet still. You think only about the words you hear.
When you listen actively, you do not talk or do other things while someone else is talking. You wait until they are finished before you say something back.
What Is a Clarifying Question?
Sometimes you listen very carefully, but you still do not understand one part of what someone said. A clarifying question is a question you ask to understand that part better or to learn more details about it.
A clarifying question is different from any question you make up. It must connect to what the speaker just said. Here is an example.
Your friend says, "I got a new pet, and it likes water." You could ask, "What kind of pet is it?" or "Where does it like to swim?" These questions help you understand your friend's story better because they ask about the exact part you want to know more about.
How to Ask a Clarifying Question
You can follow these steps every time you want to ask a clarifying question.
1. Listen to the whole sentence first.
2. Think about which part is not clear to you.
3. Ask a question about that part using words like what, where, when, why, or how.
4. Listen closely to the answer.
Key Terms & Definitions
Active Listening: You use your ears, eyes, and body to pay close attention to a speaker.
Clarifying Question: A question you ask to understand a part of a message better or to learn more details.
Detail: A small piece of information inside a bigger idea or story.
Speaker: The person who is talking and sharing information.
Listener: The person who is paying attention to the speaker's words.
Relevant: A question that connects directly to what was just said.
Understand: You know the full meaning of what someone said.
Practice Activities
During show-and-tell, listen closely to a classmate's story. When the story ends, ask one clarifying question about a detail you want to know more about, such as "How big is it?"
When your teacher gives directions, listen for each step. If one step is not clear, ask a clarifying question like "Do we write our name at the top?"
Play a describe-and-draw game with a partner. One person describes a picture while the other listens and asks a clarifying question, such as "What color is the shape?", before drawing it.