## Key Ideas > [!abstract] Core Concepts > > - **Attention is the Gatekeeper**: Without student attention, even the best explanations will fail > - **Diagnostic Value**: Isolate whether problems are attention, cognitive load, or prior knowledge > - **High-Frequency Checks**: Regular listening checks every 2-3 sentences during explanations ## Definition **Check for Listening**: Strategic questions to verify that students are paying attention to instructions, explanations, and each other's contributions, the foundation that makes all other teaching strategies effective. ## Overview Without attention, even expertly crafted explanations cannot reach students' working memory for processing. When students do not understand, is the problem rooted in inattention, cognitive overload, or missing prior knowledge? Check for listening offers both a preventative strategy and a diagnostic tool, allowing teachers to monitor attention throughout instruction and identify the true source of comprehension difficulties. Embedding regular listening checks into explanations helps teachers catch attention lapses early and maintain engagement. ## Connected To [[Check For Understanding]] | [[Cognitive Load]] | [[Prior Knowledge]] | [[Cold-Call]] | [[Call and Response]] | [[Culture of Error]] --- ## Why students don't understand: the three causes When students struggle, the cause falls into one of three categories. First, lack of attention manifests through mind wandering (research shows children are off-task approximately 20-40% of the time; Smallwood et al., 2007; Seli et al., 2016), distractions from both internal thoughts and external stimuli, attention fatigue as cognitive bandwidth becomes depleted, and competing priorities that dominate mental space. Second, working memory overload occurs when too much information is presented simultaneously (Cowan, 2001), when instructions contain multiple complex steps, when unfamiliar vocabulary creates processing burden, or when insufficient time is given for information processing. Third, lack of prior knowledge includes missing foundational concepts needed for new learning, insufficient background knowledge to make connections, gaps in prerequisite skills, and weak or incorrect existing schemas. ## The diagnostic value of check for listening Understanding why students struggle requires accurate diagnosis. When students answer "I don't know" to understanding questions, the cause remains hidden: was the explanation unclear, or did they simply not hear it? Regular checks for listening during explanations clarify the issue. When students can repeat what was said but still don't understand, the problem lies in cognitive load or prior knowledge, and teachers should re-explain or scaffold. When students can't repeat what was said, the issue is attention, and teachers should focus on accountability and refocusing. This diagnostic clarity helps teachers identify the actual barrier to learning rather than repeatedly explaining material that was not heard. ## Core check for listening strategies ### High-frequency checks during explanations Rather than long, uninterrupted explanations, teachers should embed regular listening checks every 2-3 sentences. When introducing isosceles triangles, for example, a teacher might say "This is an isosceles triangle," then prompt "I say i-sos-ce-les, you say..." for students to repeat. After explaining "In an isosceles triangle, two of the angles are equal," the teacher can ask Tom "In an isosceles triangle, how many of the angles are equal?" and then ask Mo "What type of triangle has two equal angles?" before prompting all students "All of you, in an isosceles triangle..." for completion. ### Check question comprehension Beyond monitoring explanations, listening checks help diagnose the meaning behind "I don't know" responses. When students respond "I don't know," teachers should first ask "What was the question I just asked you?" If students can't repeat the question, the issue is attention rather than understanding, and teachers should address attention before re-asking the understanding question. ### Listen and repeat technique When a student gives an inadequate response, teachers can say "Listen to me explain this, then I'll ask you to repeat it back," provide a clear explanation, and then ask "Now, what did I just explain?" This approach ensures the student was listening and can demonstrate comprehension. ### Check instruction comprehension Listening checks also help when giving task instructions, preventing the cascade of confusion that follows misunderstood directions. Before students begin tasks, teachers can ask Sarah "What are you about to do?", Mike "How long do you have for this?", and Emma "What should you do if you get stuck?" This approach prevents confusion during independent work, reduces interruptions and questions, and ensures all students understand expectations. ### Plan checks for listening in advance Breaking explanations into listenable chunks is difficult in the moment, so teachers should script explanations with built-in listening checks. When teaching how to multiply single brackets, for instance, teachers can plan a listening check after each step: "To multiply out this bracket, we multiply everything inside by what's outside" (check), "We start by multiplying 3 by 2x to get 6x" (check), "Then we multiply 3 by 5 to get 15" (check), "So our final answer is 6x + 15" (check). ### Use call and response for group listening When introducing key concepts or reinforcing important information, teachers can start a statement and have students complete it in unison. For example, the teacher says "Prime numbers have..." and students respond "exactly two factors," or the teacher says "Numbers with exactly two factors are called..." and students respond "prime numbers." This format creates 100% participation in listening checks, builds energy and engagement, and reinforces key vocabulary and concepts. ### Don't confuse listening checks with understanding checks Listening checks and understanding checks serve different purposes and require clear distinction. In a listening check, the teacher has already provided the information and students simply repeat it back. For example, after saying "The first step is to subtract 5 from both sides," the teacher asks Ben "What is the first step?" to verify attention to the explanation. In an understanding check, the teacher asks Ben "What is the first step to solve this equation?" to assess comprehension without having first provided the answer. ## Creating conditions for listening Effective implementation requires creating the environmental and procedural conditions that make listening possible in the first place. ### Ensure students can listen The physical setup should position teachers where they can see all students (Pastore's Perch), require empty hands and eyes on the teacher when explaining or giving instructions, wait for silence before beginning explanations, and avoid doing other tasks whilst explaining (such as handing out papers). Clear signals help secure attention through narrated countdowns: "I need your attention in 3... stop conversations, 2... pens down, 1... looking at me." This consistent routine helps students recognise when their full attention is required. ### Step away from speakers When students answer questions, teachers should move away from the speaking student. This increases volume (students naturally speak louder), enables better monitoring (teachers can see other students' attention), and sends a clear message that this isn't one-to-one conversation. Everyone should listen. ### Manage attention contagion Research shows that students who see inattentive classmates become less attentive themselves (Roda & Thomas, 2006). Teachers can address this through strategic seating decisions about where to place attentive versus less attentive students, immediate attention to inattentiveness to prevent spread, and positive modelling that highlights good listening behaviours. ### Prepare students with non-subject content For students who struggle with academic confidence or have experienced repeated failure, introducing listening checks through low-stakes, non-academic content reduces anxiety whilst establishing the routine. Teachers can practice listening checks with easy, non-academic content first: "The colours of the Swedish flag are blue and yellow" followed by "What are the colours of the Swedish flag?... Evie?" This builds confidence in the routine, establishes the expectation of listening, and removes academic pressure whilst students learn the procedure. ### Text comes last Having information visible whilst checking for listening allows students to simply read the answer rather than demonstrating they listened. Better practice involves giving the explanation verbally, checking for listening, and only then displaying the information visually: "What did I say goes in this box?... [student responds]... [write answer on board]." ## Integration with other strategies Check for listening does not operate in isolation but instead enhances and supports other teaching strategies. Cold-call techniques help check listening during explanations (Lemov, 2015), with the "question, pause, name" sequence keeping all students listening and "I don't know" responses followed by question comprehension checks. Call and response works well for group listening checks, using wait time before the signal for response to make listening checks more engaging and energetic. Teachers should always check listening before understanding, as this helps isolate whether wrong answers stem from attention or comprehension issues and makes assessment more reliable when teachers know students were paying attention. Within a culture of error, listening checks should feel supportive rather than punitive. Teachers can frame them as "This isn't about being wrong, it's about staying focused on our learning" and address attention issues without shaming students. ## Troubleshooting common issues When students still aren't listening, teachers should check their explanation quality (is it worth listening to?), increase the frequency of checks, use more engaging formats (such as call and response), and address underlying attention issues. When checks feel mechanical, teachers can vary their approaches (individual, group, written), use natural language rather than scripts, connect to actual learning rather than just compliance, and make them feel supportive rather than punitive. When checks take too much time, teachers should plan checks in advance so they flow naturally, use efficient formats like call and response, focus on the most critical information only, and build routines so procedures become automatic. ## References Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity. *Behavioral and Brain Sciences*, 24(1), 87-114. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922 Lemov, D. (2015). *Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college*. Jossey-Bass. Roda, C., & Thomas, J. (2006). Attention aware systems: Theories, applications, and research agenda. *Computers in Human Behavior*, 22(4), 557-587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2005.12.005 Seli, P., Risko, E. F., Smilek, D., & Schacter, D. L. (2016). Mind-wandering with and without intention. *Trends in Cognitive Sciences*, 20(8), 605-617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2016.05.010 Smallwood, J., Fishman, D. J., & Schooler, J. W. (2007). Counting the cost of an absent mind: Mind wandering as an underrecognized influence on educational performance. *Psychonomic Bulletin & Review*, 14(2), 230-236. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194057