Listening Pairs wellbeing lesson plan
A primary wellbeing lesson for Years 1 to 2 that helps Australian teachers introduce active listening through a structured, ready-to-teach lesson. Students learn why listening matters in friendships and explore simple ways to show someone they are being heard. Through paired discussion and guided practice, students build early language for taking turns, paying attention and showing respect when a friend is speaking.
Healthy Relationships & Communication
Snapshot
Listening Pairs
This lesson gives teachers a structured way to introduce listening skills using simple, paired activities that suit younger students.
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Why listening is important and how to do it
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What pupils will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
Recognise what good listening looks like, such as facing the speaker and waiting for a turn.
Recognise when someone is not listening, such as interrupting or looking away.
Recognise that everyone likes to feel heard by their friends.
Understand
Understand why listening is an important part of friendship and shared respect.
Understand that listening involves more than staying quiet, such as paying attention and showing interest.
Practise
Practise taking turns to speak and listen with a partner.
Practise using simple phrases that show a friend they are being listened to.
Practise sitting or standing in a way that shows attentive listening.
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for younger primary students who are building early social skills around friendships and shared respect. It works well for students who are learning to take turns in conversation and notice how their behaviour affects others.
It is suitable for:
primary wellbeing lessons
Health or PDHPE teaching
pastoral care, circle time or advisory sessions
friendship and social skills programs
class culture and communication expectation work
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, student maturity, cohort needs, classroom culture, existing discussion norms and available support pathways.
Best used when
Use this lesson when students need clear, practical language for recognising unkind behaviour and knowing what to do next.
Introducing listening skills Use when students are new to structured turn taking and paired conversation.
Building classroom culture Use when reinforcing respectful communication as part of everyday class expectations.
Starting a friendships unit Use as an early lesson in a broader focus on friendships and shared respect.
Supporting inclusion Use when helping students notice that everyone deserves to feel listened to.
Practising paired or group work routines Use before introducing more paired or small group activities that rely on listening.
Preparing for transition Use when new peer groupings mean students need shared expectations for respectful conversation.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
Listening is one of the first communication skills students need for building and keeping friendships. Young students are still learning that listening involves more than staying quiet, and that it plays a big part in showing someone respect. Teaching listening early gives students a shared language for friendship interactions, helping them notice when they are truly paying attention and when they might be distracted or interrupting. This lesson supports a classroom culture where students feel heard by their peers, which can help friendships feel more settled and respectful from an early age.
How this lesson supports wellbeing
This lesson supports student wellbeing by building practical social and emotional skills students can use in everyday school life. It helps students develop:
Capability How the lesson supports it
Active listening Students practise paying attention and waiting for a turn to speak.
Social awareness Students notice when a friend feels listened to or overlooked.
Empathy Students consider how it feels when someone listens carefully to them.
Communication skills Students practise simple phrases that show interest in what a friend is saying.
Relationship skills Students build habits that support respectful, back and forth conversation.
Belonging Students reinforce that everyone's ideas are worth listening to.
For teachers and school leaders, the lesson contributes to broader wellbeing, respectful relationships, child safety and pastoral care goals in Australian primary schools.
Teaching notes & Delivery Considerations
This lesson includes content about unkind behaviour, exclusion and asking adults for help. It should be taught with calm, clear discussion norms.
Before teaching
Remind students not to name classmates or share stories about other people.
Frame discussion around general examples and scenarios, not specific friendship incidents.
Explain that the lesson is about practising a skill, not identifying who listens well or poorly.
Pair students thoughtfully, considering existing classroom relationships.
During delivery
Use simple, concrete examples such as facing the speaker, waiting for a turn or nodding.
Give students time to practise listening and speaking roles with a partner.
Model good listening behaviour yourself before students begin paired practice.
Keep instructions short given the younger year level.
Supporting safe discussion
Encourage respectful discussion rather than personal stories about specific friends.
Use general examples rather than asking students to describe real disagreements.
Remind students they can speak to a trusted adult if a friendship situation feels difficult.
Adaptation options
Use drawing or simple gestures for students who are less confident speaking aloud.
Extend the pairs into small groups for students ready for more complex turn taking.
Revisit the lesson briefly during other paired or group activities to reinforce the routine.
