Acting out a story - a listening activity

Create stories for students to act out. This activity encourages both creativity and good listening skills

Acting out a story - a listening activity

(Published in Directory : Language Arts : Listening Skills)

This is another good listening activity, and at the same time it is also very helpful to develop imagination, pretending, pantomiming and physical coordination. It is of great help to the shy child since he is acting together with the other children and therefore is not in evidence himself.

Children enjoy this activity very much, and derive great pleasure when acting it out. It is also a good moment for observing the children, their actions and reactions to the story!

Acting out a story:
The Teacher says: I will tell you a story. as you listen to it imagine and act out the different actions told in it. Line up behind me and get ready for the trip.

The teacher starts telling the story while the children act out the different actions that appear in it. There are no further instructions given. It is left to the children to listen carefully and to imagine how and to do it.

The Story:
"Here is the giant's house. You go inside. Climb up the tall steps. Reach way up to the doorknob - stand on tiptoes. Turn the doorknob with both hands. There, you are inside! Walk down the long hall.

"Look, there's the giant's cat. It's bigger than you are!!! Try to make friends with the cat. Stand on tiptoes and scratch its ears. Pat it on the head. Oh! Oh! It doesn't want to be friends! Run!!! Run down the hall and into the kitchen. Good! It didn't follow you.

"Look around and sniff. You are hungry!!! And you smell food. Maybe it's on the giant's table. Climb up the tall chair leg - just like climbing a pole. Now stand on the chair seat. Oh! Look! There is soup on the table.

"Take the huge spoon in both hands and dip it into the soup. Lift the spoon out and blow on the soup. Take a sip.

"It needs salt. Pick up the giant salt shaker with both hands. Tip it over the soup. Now try the soup again. Delicious!!! Eat it all. Now jump down to the floor.

"You are sleepy. Yawn. Stretch. Look around and walk into the bedroom. There's an enormous bed. Grab onto the bed covers like a rope. Pull yourself up onto the bed. It's so soft - bounce up and down."

Of course, many other stories could be created and acted out, making this an activity which could be done again and again.