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Name of Activity:

Listening Spots

Purpose of Activity:

To have students learn their personal space in order to listen to the teacher.

Suggested Grade Level:

PreK-2

Materials Needed:

Five different colored permanent markers, semi circular place in the gym to draw the marks

Description of Idea

For my PreK - second grade students, I have drawn symbols on my gym floor to give them their own special "listening spot". The symbols I use are numbered and color coded, such as green frogs, red apples, orange buses, black bears, etc.

I use five different symbols/colors and repeat the combination starting with 1 and going through 5. For my school, I only need 24 symbols, as that is my largest class size. I got permission from my principal to use permanent markers to color these symbols in a semi-circle around the free-throw zone of our gym.

I space them out to give the students enough room to sit comfortably on them without touching the next student. I can assign students to a spot and then when I need to talk to them I ask them to return to their listening spots. In a semi-circle, I can see everyone, no-one is fighting over who they will sit by, and I have instant groups (all the greens, numbers, etc.).

I write down the names of the students on a chart so that a substitute teacher can have access to needed "special" information. This has been a lifesaver and has eliminated disputes over who sits or stands where when I need to talk to them.

Submitted by Teri  Charpenel who teaches at Fulton Elementary School in Tinley Park , IL . Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 5/17/2000.
Viewed 26352 times since 8/24/2001.

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Listening Spots

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Previous Comments:

lewismamier@mcsk12.net

I've been using you guys as an additional resource for many reasons. You ROCK!

Robert L. Uribe

can you type and example? i'm really interested in doing something like this in my gym. Thanks.



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