Literacy Listens - Episode 1: Introduction to Listening Comprehension: Explore the crucial role listening comprehension plays in literacy development. This episode highlights why this often-overlooked skill is one of the strongest predictors of reading success and how it allows children to engage with complex ideas long before they can decode written words. Key Takeaways What is Listening Comprehension? The ability to understand spoken language at the discourse level More than just isolated words or sentences - it's about making sense of connected language Why Listening Comprehension Matters One of the strongest predictors of reading success Begins to develop before children can decode Allows children to comprehend complex stories they hear long before they can read them Around 2nd grade, listening comprehension becomes the best predictor of reading comprehension Practical Classroom Applications Treat read-alouds and class discussions as comprehension-building opportunities Move beyond surface-level questions ("What happened?") to higher-level thinking questions Ask "Why do you think the character did that?" or "How do you think she felt?" Key Insight Listening comprehension isn't just preparation for reading - it's part of the reading process itself. Teach word reading and listening comprehension together from the very beginning. Episode Chapters/Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and welcome 0:43 - Defining listening comprehension 1:30 - Why listening comprehension predicts reading success 2:15 - The developmental timeline 3:45 - Real-world example: The elephant story 5:00 - Cognitive processes in listening comprehension 6:15 - Practical classroom strategies 7:30 - Questioning techniques for deeper understanding 8:20 - Key takeaways for educators Resources Mentioned Website:⁠ listeningcomprehension.org⁠ Organization:⁠https://www.readcharlotte.org/⁠⁠ Platforms: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube About the Podcast Literacy Listens breaks down big ideas from literacy research into practical, under-10-minute episodes. Each episode features research-backed insights and actionable takeaways for educators. Production Notes Voices: AI-generated Script developed with AI technology support Content reflects research curated by Read Charlotte                      References: Cervetti, G. N., et al. (2020). How the reading for understanding initiative’s research complicates the simple view of reading invoked in the science of reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 55, S161-S172. Available online here. Hogan, T., Bridges, M. S., Justice, L. M., & Cain, K. (2011). Increasing higher level language skills to improve reading comprehension. Focus on Exceptional Children, 44(3): 1-20. Justice, L.M. and Jiang, H. (2023). Language is the basis of skilled reading comprehension. Handbook on the Science of Early Literacy, 131 Kim, Y.S. (2020). Simple but not simplistic: The simple view of reading unpacked and expanded. The Reading League, May/June, 15-22. Available online here. Kim, Y. S. G. (2023). Simplicity Meets Complexity. Handbook on the Science of Early Literacy, 9-22. Language and Reading Research Consortium, Jiang, H., & Logan, J. (2019). Improving reading comprehension in the primary grades: Mediated effects of a language-focused classroom intervention. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(8), 2812-2828. National Reading Panel (US), National Institute of Child Health, & Human Development (US). (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: Reports of the subgroups. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health. Pearson, P. D., Palincsar, A. S., Biancarosa, G., & Berman, A. I. (Eds.). (2020). Reaping the Rewards of the Reading for Understanding Initiative. Washington, DC: National Academy of Educati