The Story Chain: A Listening Adventure!

Objective

To practice active listening skills by collaboratively building a story, sentence by sentence.

Materials

• No special materials needed! Just your listening ears and imaginations.

Instructions

1. Gather in a Circle: Sit in a small circle so everyone can see and hear each other clearly.

2. The Story Starter: The first student will start a story with just one sentence. For example: "Once upon a time, a fluffy cloud decided to go on an adventure to the supermarket."

3. The Listener Repeats and Adds: The next student in the circle must repeat the entire story so far (starting with the first sentence) and then add one new sentence to continue the story. For example, if the first student said, "Once upon a time, a fluffy cloud decided to go on an adventure to the supermarket," the second student would say, "Once upon a time, a fluffy cloud decided to go on an adventure to the supermarket. It hoped to find the tastiest strawberries for a cloud picnic."

4. Keep it Going: Continue around the circle. Each student must listen carefully to the previous sentences, repeat them, and then add their own creative sentence.

5. Focus on Listening Skills:

   • Eye Contact: Look at the person speaking to show you are listening.
   • No Interrupting: Wait patiently for your turn.
   • Body Language: Show with your body that you are engaged and listening.
   • Remember Details: This game really tests your memory, which comes from good listening!

6. Teacher's Role: Encourage students to help each other remember if someone forgets a part of the story (without interrupting). Keep the pace moving and remind them of their listening superpowers!

7. Play Multiple Rounds: You can play several rounds, starting a new story each time, or see how long one story can get!