Listening Attentively

" Are you listening to me? "
" What did I just say? "
" That's not what I said!!! "
" You are not listening to me!!! "

- Overheard in public -

It has been repeated many times over in some variation or another, and it is possible that we, ourselves, have used it too.

We attempt to communicate with others and the communication fails.

Our attempt to communicate crashes faster than an error message is displayed when trying to divide by zero.

But what was the cause of the failure in communication? The messenger? the message? The receiver of the message? The method or technology used for the communication of the message?

If we can Write Clearly and Read Fluently, then shouldn't all forms of communication be successful?

Reading and Writing are communication points, but Listening is the line in communication.

Students must acquire the necessary skills and knowledge of Listening Attentively in order to be able to successfully communicate thoughts, ideas, feelings, and information.

Teachers and parents can help students communicate clearly by practicing with them on a regular basis using the EAR Method:

E - Establish communication exchanges.
A - Assess the success of the exchange.
R - Revise Unsuccessful exchanges.

Utilizing the EAR Method to practice Listening Attentively communication skills can be beneficial to the more than 80% of California students who scored near or below in the listening strand of the 2018 ELA CAASPP.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2019.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Writing Clearly

Writing is perhaps the highest form of communication that humans have developed.

From the complex structure of computer languages, to the early remnants of hand imprints in caves, and the philosophical discussions in ancient Greece about public oratory vs. written record, writing has earned the top spot in many modern languages.

Writing is one of the last skills that English Learners master on their way to achieving language fluency and one of the first skills that are assessed in a student's progress.

It is a record that we create set to withstand the test of time.

It is written, proof read, edited, rewritten, and published as a final word.

It is open to challenge and criticism, to redaction and correction.

It is used as a source to inspire and create more writing.

It is poems, books, scrolls and scribbles that express thought and emotion.

Writing challenges the writer to conquer the dreaded writer's block.



Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2019.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.