1. IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS
What are three types of effective listening?
Roadblocks to Effective Listening
Reasons to Improve Listening Skills
Feelings for Which You Can be Listening
Listening Role-Play Activity
What are three types of effective listening?
1. Paraphrasing
To paraphrase, one simply rewords what another individual has said. For example, the speaker might say, "She
was foolish to quit her job." The listener might respond, "I hear you saying that you believe she shouldn't have
quit." What has occurred is paraphrasing where the listener has clarified what the speaker has said.
2. Open Questions
An open question explores a person's statement without requiring a simple "yes" or "no" answer. The basic
difference between an open question and a closed question is what they provide the person being asked. When
you are asked an open question it helps you think more about an issue. A closed question will not do that. It may
force you to answer before you are ready, or require a "yes" or "no" answer that doesn't allow more thinking
about the issue. Closed questions close the door on further thought, while open questions open the door. For
example, the speaker might say, "I don't like my job." The listener might respond, "What about your job don't you
like?" or, "Tell me more about your feelings regarding your job."
3. Feeling Reflection
Feeling reflection is a response in which you express a feeling or emotion you have experienced in reference to
a particular statement. For example, the speaker might say, "I get sick of working so much overtime!" The
listener might respond, "I hear you feeling angry and resentful at being asked to work so much overtime."
Feeling reflections are perhaps the most difficult active listening responses to make. Not only do you actively
listen to what is being said but also you actively listen for what is being felt. When you make a feeling reflection,
you are reflecting back what you hear of another's feelings. It is similar to paraphrasing; however, you repeat
what you heard them feeling instead of what you heard them saying. To understand what individuals are feeling,
you must listen to their words, to their tone of voice, and watch their body signals. By observing all three you

2. can begin to guess their feelings.
* Listen carefully so that you will be able to understand, comprehend and evaluate. Careful listening will require
a conscious effort on your part. You must be aware of the verbal and nonverbal messages (reading between the
lines).
* Be mentally and physically prepared to listen. Put other thoughts out of your mind. Your attention will be
diverted from listening if you try to think of answers in advance.
* You can't hear if you do all the talking.
* Think about the topic in advance, if possible. Be prepared to listen.
* Listen with empathy. See the situation from the other's point of view. Try to put yourself in their shoes.
* Be courteous; don't interrupt. Take notes if you worry about forgetting a particular point.
* Avoid stereotyping individuals by making assumptions about how you expect them to act. This will bias your
listening.
* Listen to how something is said. Be alert for what is left unsaid.
* Make certain everyone involved gets an opportunity to voice their opinions. Don't let one person dominate the
conversation.
* Face those you are talking with, lean slightly forward and make eye contact. Use your body to show your
interest and concern.
Roadblocks to Effective Listening
The following types of responses indicate ineffective listening:
* warning
* interrogating
* preaching
* ordering
* judging
* diverting
* analyzing
* blaming
* labeling
* moralizing
* probing
* ridiculing

3. * threatening
* reassuring
* distracting
* sympathizing
* demanding
* interpreting
* teaching
* withdrawing
* giving solutions
* scolding
* praising
* advising
* criticizing
* directing
* lecturing
* name-calling
Reasons to Improve Listening Skills
* To avoid saying the wrong thing, being tactless
* To dissipate strong feelings
* To learn to accept feelings (yours and others)
* To generate a feeling of caring
* To help people start listening to you
* To increase the other person's confidence in you
* To make the other person feel important and recognized
* To be sure you both are on the same wavelength
* To be sure you both are focused on the same topic
* To check that you are both are on target with one another
Questions to Ask Yourself in Conversations
* What am I doing in this interaction?
* What are my strategies or goals in communicating this message?

4. * Where do I want to go in this conversation?
* What is my body feeling right now in this conversation?
* What pressures am I feeling in talking with this person?
* What could I say differently?
* How could I say that so as to show I understood?
* What am I feeling at this time?
* What impulses do I have?
* What is my decision--making process in this conversation?
* How is she feeling toward me?
* What do I want or not want him to feel?
* What risks am I experiencing in this conversation?
* How is her appearance affecting me?
* What fantasy is going on in my head in this dialogue?
* What cues of the other am I responding to?
* How does his behavior affect my approach in this discussion?
* How genuine am I feeling at this time?
* How does what I say reflect genuineness to her?
* How could I have made what I just said more empathetic? How did I demonstrate respect for the other?
* How is my level of communication and vocabulary affecting the dialogue?
* What different style of communication could I use to reach her better?
* How attentive am I to him at this time?
* How do I feel about her response?
* How comfortable am I feeling at this time?
* How are my values affecting what I am hearing at this time?
* What is the level of my trust at this time?
* How did that question further the discussion and show I was listening?
* How mutually helpful is this conversation at this time?
* How honest are my statements with her?
* How comfortable am I in honestly labeling what I see going on with him?
* What can I do to improve the feedback I am giving the other?
* How well am I tuning into her feelings?
* What responses can I use to demonstrate that I am "with" the other?

5. Feelings for Which You Can be Listening
Use these lists of words to help you as you listen for the feelings of others in your conversations. Try to identify
the other person's feeling, then reflect them back to the speaker.
Positive feelings include love, affection, concern, interest, elation and joy.
Negative feelings include depression, sadness, distress, fear, anger and anxiety.
Practice Listening for Feelings
Give either a paraphrase, an open question or a feeling-reflection listening response for each of the following
statements. First identify the feelings, then give your response. Compare your answers with a friend's. Discuss
the feelings identification and appropriateness of your responses.
"I am overwhelmed with work and can't get to your project yet."
"No one ever appreciates me around here!"
"I am lost. I'll never get this job done. Can you help me with this?"
"When I was younger I never knew what to expect in my house. One day Dad would be happy and carefree, and
the next day he might be angry and hateful."
"I always work hard to achieve the goals of my group. I can't believe everyone else doesn't feel that way."
"I am so upset. I hate bringing the baby to the mall. Everyone stares at him. I get so embarrassed, I could cry!"
"Why doesn't anyone understand how I feel? I try my hardest but it never seems to matter. They still argue and
fight all the time."
"I would rather die than let anyone know how I feel about it."
"No one but me is responsible for what happens to me. Butt out of my business and I'll butt out of yours."
"Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong? Why has God chosen me for this?"
"Why doesn't anyone ever hear me? I am so anxious for them to give me a chance but they all seem busy and
preoccupied. I don't think they really care about me anymore."
"You are all a bunch of phonies. I can't stand your cold-hearted, pompous ideas of right and wrong. I'd rather be
anywhere else than with you tonight!"
"I get so embarrassed in that group. Everyone seems so together and with it. I'm afraid they would never accept
me for who I am and the way I feel."
"I get so uptight coming to this group every week. I am sure that someday my turn will come and I'll be so
clammed up I'll never be able to say a word."
"I am so afraid of letting my feelings out. If I ever let them out, I may never stop. I might go over the edge."
"My dad and mom are so busy taking care of my little brother that I'm afraid to tell them about my problems.
They seem insignificant compared to his problems."

6. "Nobody really cares if we win or lose. They goof around and take nothing serious."
"I am so untalented, ignorant and ugly that no one could possibly love me."
"I wish that I had never been born. If I hadn't been born, maybe my family wouldn't have had such problems.
Maybe Mom and Dad would have been happy and not divorced."
"I want to thank you for making this the best day of my life. You are all so special and wonderful. I love you all."
Listening Role-Play Activity
You and a friend can practice effective listening on one another. Practice with these suggested topics.
Step 1
One partner takes a turn as speaker, the other as listener. For 5 minutes the speaker elaborates on one of the
ten topics. The listener uses effective listening and makes appropriate responses back to the speaker.
Step 2
After the 5-minute role play is completed, the speaker spends two minutes giving feedback to the listening
partner on the effective listener skills used. Review Section II to help you give appropriate feedback.
Step 3
After the first practice and feedback session, switch roles until all topics have been covered.
Practice Listening Topics:
How I feel about:
* My life today.
* Being raised in my family of origin.
* All the good things that have happened to me.
* My future.
* My decision to participate in a support group.
* My current personal problems.
* Learning to deal with my problems.
* Listening to other people's deepest concerns and feelings.
* Showing love to those closest to me.
* The fact that I influence my life, regardless of the events, with either positive or negative outcomes

7. Improve Reading Skills - Ways to improve Reading Skills at Home or School
Improve Reading Skills
Reading Skills Improvement Strategies for Home - Parents can Improve Reading Skills at Home
Does your child struggle with reading skills? As parents, we naturally want to help our children learn.
Sometimes though, it is difficult to know just how to do that because teaching methods change as research on
basic reading and reading comprehension identifies better strategies to develop specially designed instruction
for reading disorders such as dyslexia. Despite this, there are some strategies you can use with your child at
home that do not involve direct instruction and are unlikely to conflict with strategies your child's teachers use
at school. Providing this additional help will, over time, dramatically improve your child's reading skills.
Reading Skills Improvement Strategies - Easy Reading Strategies for Parents to Use at Home
1. Participate in Library Reading Programs: Most libraries offer organized reading programs during
school breaks for students based on their school levels. Many of these programs are themed and
showcase some of the best works for children and young adults. The library staff may host activities
based on books and have special events and field trips designed to help students explore the literature
on a deeper level. Librarians are usually happy to help your child and can help find ways to involve all
levels of readers within an age group.
2. Explore Different Forms of Reading Material: Check out works in both their book forms and books
on tape, CD, or digital recording forms. Many of the highest rated literature for children and young
adults is available on tape and in book form. By having your student read along in the book while
listening to the same book on tape, you are providing excellent reading benefits. The student sees and
hears words and phrases together, a good way to reinforce sight-word recognition. Your child may
also benefit from assistive technology such as text readers. These methods provide the student
exposure to works he might not otherwise choose to read because of the difficulty. He can gain

8. knowledge of the content and increase vocabulary without having to struggle through the book and
perhaps be discouraged.
3. Compare Books to Film: Have your student read a book and then check out the video version of a
book. Talk about the similarities and differences in the two mediums. What did she like about each
form? What didn't she like? Did she prefer the book or the movie, and why?
4. Study Reading Vocabulary: As your student reads books, have her make a list of words that were
difficult or unfamiliar in the book. Make flashcards of these words, spend some time together talking
about the meanings and looking them up in the dictionary. Take turns showing the cards and guessing
the words and meanings. As the student masters each word, remove it from the deck and put it in a
place of honor. When the whole deck is mastered, celebrate with a special reward.
5. Strengthen Spelling Skills: Use the same deck created in number 3 above. Have your child learn the
spelling of each word. Practice the spelling. When your child feels ready, have him write the words on
paper. Give him a reward for each mistake he finds and corrects. This is a great strategy to use
throughout the year. It teaches students to self-correct and also reduces their fear of trying to tackle
difficult words. Young students may enjoy using multisensory techniques for these activities.
6. Read the old fashioned way. Take turns reading passages, or allow your child to follow along as you
read.
7. Compare Authors' Books: Have your child read two books by the same author. It is a good idea for
you to read them too so you can discuss them. Compare how they are similar and how they are
different. Which did you and your child like best? Why?
Most important, remember to keep your reading activities at home stress free. Use mistakes as
teachable moments. If your child gets tired of reading, take turns, or take a break. For most
elementary aged students with learning disabilities, about fifteen to twenty minutes of reading at least
three days a week is a good place to begin. If your child wants more time, then allow that to happen. If
your child becomes frustrated, and has difficulty focusing for that amount of time, shorten the time,
and consider a shorter text or a lower reading level. Establish a cozy and nurturing environment when
reading. A bed time snuggle or a mid-afternoon read on the porch swing are some ideas. Involve your
child in planning your reading sessions, and enjoy your time together as you get ready for school and
get ready to read.

9. Activities like these are important for children with learning disabilities because they involve reading
in a low-stress, enjoyable situation. Using these strategies regularly with your child will build skills and
encourage them to see reading as a rewarding activity.
Is your child still reluctant to read? If so, try these tested and effective strategies.
Improve Reading Skills - Learning Disabilities in Reading - Dyslexia Strategies
• How to Improve Your Vocabulary
• Improve Reading Comprehension and Recall
• Reading Strategies to Use at Home
Improve Reading with PQ4R Method, Encouraging Readers, Reading Routines
• Improve Reading Comprehension
• Encouraging Reluctant Readers
• Start a Reading Routine
Understanding Dyslexia, Secondary Education Issues, Teach Early Sight Words
• Understanding Dyslexia
• Teaching Early Sight Words
• Dyslexia in Secondary Education
10 Tips to Improve Your Reading Skills
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In the modern age of information, reading truly is a fundamental survival skill. Here are ten tips that anyone
can use to improve their reading skills:
1. You don't have to be a great reader to get the point.
Some people read fast and remember everything. Others read slowly and take a couple of times to get all the
information. It doesn't matter, really, so long as when you read, you get the information you're seeking.
2. Know WHY you're reading.

10. Are you reading for entertainment or to learn something? Decide why you're reading before you start and you'll
greatly improve your comprehension and your enjoyment.
3. You don't need to read everything.
Not every magazine, letter, and email you receive contains information you need. In fact, most of it is simply
junk. Throw it away, hit the delete key! Just doing this will double the amount of time you have available to read.
4. You don't need to read all of what you DO read.
Do you read every article of every magazine, every chapter of every book? If so, you're probably spending a lot
of time reading stuff you don't need.
Be choosy: select the chapters and articles that are important. Ignore the rest.
5. Scan before you read.
Look at the table of contents, index, topic headers, photo captions, etc. These will help you determine if, a) you
have a real interest in this reading, and b) what information you're likely to get from it.
6. Prioritize your reading.
You can't read everything all at once (and wouldn't want to). If it's important, read it now. If it's not, let it wait.
7. Optimize your reading environment.
You'll read faster and comprehend more if you read in an environment that's comfortable for you.
8. Once you start, don't stop!
Read each item straight through. If you finish and have questions, go back and re-read the pertinent sections. If
you don't have questions, you got what you needed and are ready to move on.

11. 9. Focus.
Remember, you're reading with a purpose, so focus on that purpose and the material. If you lose interest or
keep losing your place, take a break or read something else. You can keep track of where you are by following
along with your hand. This simple technique helps you focus and increase your concentration.
10. Practice!
The more you read, the better reader you'll become (and smarter, too)! So, feed your mind: read!