What is "SLANT"?
SLANT is an acronym that teachers can use when they want their students to perform listening and paying attention behaviors. SLANT stands for:
Sit Up
Listen
Ask and Answer Questions
Nod Your Head
Track the Speaker
SLANT can be used by the teacher to remind his/her students of the behaviors they should be performing as they are learning. Teachers can break the acronym apart depending on the situation. If students are not tracking the speaker then a teacher could simply say “Where’s my T?”, “Don’t forget to SLANT” or “I need to see more T, please.” A teacher could even have a sign in the room with the acronym and point to the sign and/or letter when that behavior is not being expressed. It can be a reminder that teacher doesn't even have to verbally say.
SLANT is an acronym that teachers can use when they want their students to perform listening and paying attention behaviors. SLANT stands for:
Sit Up
Listen
Ask and Answer Questions
Nod Your Head
Track the Speaker
SLANT can be used by the teacher to remind his/her students of the behaviors they should be performing as they are learning. Teachers can break the acronym apart depending on the situation. If students are not tracking the speaker then a teacher could simply say “Where’s my T?”, “Don’t forget to SLANT” or “I need to see more T, please.” A teacher could even have a sign in the room with the acronym and point to the sign and/or letter when that behavior is not being expressed. It can be a reminder that teacher doesn't even have to verbally say.
Why is it Effective?
SLANT is effective because it is a clear statement of your expectations and defines appropriate behavior. Students are more likely to perform the desired behavior when they specifically know what that behavior is. If a teacher simply says “pay attention”, this can cause some gray area in behaviors because it is a vague statement. It raises the question of what is considered "paying attention"? SLANT informs students that the desired behavior of paying attention is sitting up, listening, asking and answering questions, nodding their heads, and tracking the speaker. Students cannot argue with a teacher about their behavior when the expectations are clearly stated. This is also effective for dealing with students with emotional disabilities who may have a tendency to argue with the teacher. This technique doesn't give them the chance to say “You didn't tell me that.” This strategy is also effective because it increases instructional time. A teacher can simply say a one sentence or point to a sign to remind his/her students about the expected behaviors. This saves time compared to having to stop instruction to scold students of their behavior and tell them to pay attention. This may not sound like a large amount of time being saved, when you consider the time saved over a month or school year, the time saved adds up.
SLANT is effective because it is a clear statement of your expectations and defines appropriate behavior. Students are more likely to perform the desired behavior when they specifically know what that behavior is. If a teacher simply says “pay attention”, this can cause some gray area in behaviors because it is a vague statement. It raises the question of what is considered "paying attention"? SLANT informs students that the desired behavior of paying attention is sitting up, listening, asking and answering questions, nodding their heads, and tracking the speaker. Students cannot argue with a teacher about their behavior when the expectations are clearly stated. This is also effective for dealing with students with emotional disabilities who may have a tendency to argue with the teacher. This technique doesn't give them the chance to say “You didn't tell me that.” This strategy is also effective because it increases instructional time. A teacher can simply say a one sentence or point to a sign to remind his/her students about the expected behaviors. This saves time compared to having to stop instruction to scold students of their behavior and tell them to pay attention. This may not sound like a large amount of time being saved, when you consider the time saved over a month or school year, the time saved adds up.
Implementation in My Classroom
I plan to teach elementary students, preferably Kindergarten through third grade. In my future classroom, I plan on making a SLANT sign and placing it in a visible spot in my room. At the beginning of the year, I will clearly state my expectations for the behaviors of paying attention and introduce them to the SLANT system. If I am teaching one day and I notice that students are not listening to me or their fellow classmates, I will simply point to the “L” on the SLANT sign and continue to teach my students. I will not waste time by stopping teaching to verbally scold the students for not listening. Below is an example of a SLANT poster that I would have in my classroom.
I plan to teach elementary students, preferably Kindergarten through third grade. In my future classroom, I plan on making a SLANT sign and placing it in a visible spot in my room. At the beginning of the year, I will clearly state my expectations for the behaviors of paying attention and introduce them to the SLANT system. If I am teaching one day and I notice that students are not listening to me or their fellow classmates, I will simply point to the “L” on the SLANT sign and continue to teach my students. I will not waste time by stopping teaching to verbally scold the students for not listening. Below is an example of a SLANT poster that I would have in my classroom.