Listening to God

Overview

This 30-minute lesson is designed for Year 1 students in New Zealand, focusing on Religious Education within the “Growing Closer to God” unit (Lesson 4 of 8). The lesson helps students identify ways to listen to God, aligned with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum principles, key competencies, and learning objectives, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Identify ways to listen to God.

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Success Criteria

• I can name at least two ways to listen to God.
• I can show how to listen quietly or through music.
• I can share a time I felt God was listening to me (extension).

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Curriculum Links

Learning Area

• Religious Education (Aligned with New Zealand Curriculum values and key competencies such as managing self and participating and contributing).
• Develops spiritual and personal identity, connectedness with others, and understanding of faith-related concepts appropriate for Year 1.

Key Competencies

• Managing Self: Learning to listen patiently and respectfully.
• Participating and Contributing: Engaging in group discussions and sharing experiences.
• Using Language, Symbols and Texts: Understanding and communicating ways of listening.

Principles Emphasised

• Inclusion and diversity: Using varied sensory activities including silence and music for different learners.
• Community and connectedness: Sharing personal experiences helps develop empathy and identity.

Differentiation and Accessibility

• Use guided listening activities with visuals to support dyslexia and diverse learners.
• Provide sentence starters and supportive prompts for those needing additional language scaffolding.
• Small group or one-on-one support if needed.

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Lesson Structure and Timing

Time	Activity	Description	Notes for Teacher
5 min	Welcome & Set Learning Intention	Gather students, introduce WALT and success criteria using simple language. Show visuals of ears, heart, music notes.	Use clear, slow speech with visual prompts.
7 min	Guided Listening Activity - Silence	Explain that sometimes listening to God means being very quiet inside. Lead a 2-minute silent listening moment. Ask students: “What did you hear or feel?”	Use a calm voice and gentle instructions.
7 min	Guided Listening Activity - Music	Play a gentle worship or instrumental piece (or culturally sensitive calm music). Ask students to close eyes and listen carefully. Follow with sharing what the music made them think or feel.	Use visuals depicting music notes and peaceful faces.
5 min	Discuss & Name Ways to Listen to God	Show pictures/scenarios: praying quietly, listening to music, nature sounds, reading stories about God. Encourage students to name at least two ways they can listen to God. Use sentence stems: “One way to listen to God is...”	Provide sentence starters for less confident students.
5 min	Extension / Sharing Time	Invite advanced learners to share a time they felt God was listening to them or heard from God.	Encourage respectful listening among peers.
1 min	Wrap Up & Reflect	Recap WALT and success criteria. Encourage children to remember these ways of listening throughout their day.	Positive reinforcement and setting next steps.

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Teaching and Learning Supports

• Visual Aids: Use images representing listening to God (praying figure, musical notes, peaceful nature scene).
• Sentence Starters: For example, “I listen to God when I...”, “God talks to me when I...”
• Dyslexia-Friendly Features:
  • Clear, simple language on slides or cards.
  • Use of visuals to reinforce concepts.
  • Reading text aloud and paired reading options.
• Guided Listening: Provides sensory engagement suited to diverse learners including those who may be neurodiverse.

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Assessment for Learning

• Formative Observation: Teacher notes students' ability to identify and name at least two ways of listening.
• Oral Responses: Participation in discussion and extension sharing.
• Reflection: Recorded via a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down on whether they understood the ways to listen to God.

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Resources

• Visual cards/pictures of listening scenarios
• Calm music track (instrumental or worship-appropriate)
• Quiet classroom environment

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Notes for Teachers

• Ensure the classroom environment respects quiet moments — set expectations beforehand.
• Scaffold language generously; model responses before asking students.
• Be sensitive and respectful of varied backgrounds and experiences regarding faith.
• Use small group support for children needing additional help processing or communicating.

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This lesson plan aligns tightly with the New Zealand Curriculum’s focus on key competencies, inclusion, and building respectful, reflective learners as part of their spiritual education journey. It incorporates sensory-rich and accessible activities designed for young learners to engage meaningfully with the concept of "Listening to God" .