Listen and Respond

Context

• Unit: Speaking and Listening Adventures
• Lesson 3 of 5
• Year: Preschool (New Zealand early childhood)
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Class size: 10 students
• Teacher context: Special needs class, mostly autistic sensory learners

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

Listen carefully to our friends and respond respectfully to what they say.

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Success Criteria

• Students can listen to a peer’s answer with attention.
• Students respond appropriately to at least one peer's answer.
• Use visual cues to know when it is their turn to respond.

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Curriculum Alignment: New Zealand Curriculum Refresh - English / Oral Language (Years 0-2 equivalent for Preschool)

• Interpersonal Communication - Listening and responding to others:
  • Actively listen to speakers and respond, maintaining the topic and turn-taking.
  • Engage in respectful conversations, offering simple responses or asking clarifying questions.
  • Use sentence stems and visual supports to aid communication and understanding.
• Teaching considerations for diverse learners:
  • Use visual and non-verbal cues to support comprehension and turn-taking.
  • Scaffold communication with sentence stems and modelling.
• Personalising learning for diverse needs including autism and sensory learners:
  • Create structured routines and clear expectations with visual story maps.
  • Allow movement and sensory breaks as needed during the lesson.
• Dyslexia friendly reading and listening:
  • Provide visual story maps and graphic organisers to support comprehension.
  • Use clear, simple language and visual prompts throughout the lesson.

Source: Te Mātaiaho English Curriculum Refresh, especially relevant learning outcomes for Years 0-2 and teaching considerations for listening and responding, interpersonal communication, and oral language development.

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Learning Objectives

• Children will develop listening skills by engaging actively with peers’ contributions.
• Children will learn to respond in simple, appropriate ways to others' answers using sentence stems or prompts.
• Children will use visual supports to indicate when to listen and when to speak.

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Materials Needed

• A short, engaging storybook (preferably familiar and with clear, colourful illustrations).
• Visual story map (prepared in advance) with simple pictures outlining story sequence.
• Visual cue cards/signs for turn-taking (e.g., green “listen” card, red “talk” card).
• Comfortable, quiet space free of distractions for sensory-sensitive learners.

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Lesson Outline (30 minutes)

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation & Supports
0-5 min	Welcome and intro	Gather students in a circle with visual prompts. Explain WALT and success criteria. Show visual cue cards and explain their meanings.	Use clear, simple language and demonstrate turn-taking with a teaching assistant or peer.
5-15 min	Storytime with Visual Story Map	Read the story aloud slowly with expression. Show the story map before, during, and after reading to help understanding. Pause to ask simple questions about the story ("What happened here?"). Use visuals to support meaning.	Allow sensory tools if needed (fidgets, noise-cancelling headphones). Use picture cues to help students follow the story and engage. Provide extra support with one-on-one helper if required.
15-25 min	Listening and Responding Activity	Ask a simple question related to the story ("What did you like about the story?"). Model a response. Prompt students to listen to each other’s answers and respond with a phrase from sentence stems like "I liked that too," or "That’s interesting." Use visual cue cards to indicate whose turn it is to talk or listen.	For students with communication challenges, offer non-verbal response options (e.g., thumbs up, nodding). Advanced learners encouraged to add “because…” to elaborate responses. Use scaffolding and individual prompting as required.
25-30 min	Reflection and Closure	Recap what we learned — highlight the importance of listening and respecting friends’ ideas. Use a visual chart to check off who responded. End with a calming sensory activity such as deep breaths or stretching.	Use a social story or mini-role play for learners to reinforce positive listening behaviour. Give individual praise and encouragement tailored to student needs.

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Differentiation

• Visual cues throughout the lesson guide transitions and turn-taking.
• Sentence stems provided for all children to scaffold responses:
  • "I like ___."
  • "I agree with ___ because ___."
  • "I think ___."
• Non-verbal response options (gestures, pictures) for those who find verbal answers challenging.
• Sensory supports available at all times (weighted lap pad, quiet corner, fidget toys).

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Extension for Advanced Learners

• Encourage elaborated responses adding reasons ("I liked the part when... because...").
• Invite these learners to help facilitate turn-taking with visual cue cards or models.
• Use role-play to practice responding and asking questions related to the story.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Adaptations

• Use a clear, high-contrast, simple visual story map with images and minimal text.
• Provide all instructions both orally and visually.
• Use sentence stems in written format alongside verbal explanation.
• Allow quiet space for processing and responding.

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Assessment

• Observe and record which students respond to peers’ answers appropriately.
• Use a simple checklist:
  • Listened attentively (yes/no).
  • Used a sentence stem or other appropriate response (yes/no).
  • Required prompting (yes/no).
• Informally note students who can elaborate answers independently for future planning.

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This lesson plan is designed to meet the needs of preschoolers in a special needs classroom and closely aligns with the interpersonal communication and oral language strands of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (Te Mātaiaho) for early learners, ensuring active listening, respectful responding, and inclusive teaching practices for diverse learners, including autistic and sensory learners.

If desired, this plan can easily be scaffolded with more detailed visual scaffolds or simplified as needed for the particular makeup of the class in real time.

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I hope this plan offers a clear, engaging, and curriculum-aligned pathway to teach “Listening and Responding” while honouring the diverse needs of your students! Please let me know if you would like supporting materials such as sample story maps or sentence stem cards created.