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In English, as in any other language, there are words that carry meaning and there are words that are fillers. For example, nouns carry meaning where as the article that normally proceeds a nouns does not have any specific meaning. In this exercise students are listening for specific words that carry meaning. (Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs)
Begin by reading a passage to the class, however, tell them that they are not to write anything the first time you read to them. They are to listen only. This gets them settled and helps to clear their minds of whatever they were thinking about at the beginning of the exercise. Read the passage through the first time at regular speed (your normal rate of speech). Of course, the students' first response will be "Teacher, slow down!!" But you now have their attention.
You will now read the passage at least two more times. The second time you read the passage adjust your speech to your students' level. Have them write down only the content words (words that carry meaning). The third time, read the passage a little faster but not quite at your normal speaking level. After reading the passage the third time put the students into groups of three and have them reconstruct the passage. The reason for grouping the students is because each student will have picked up different parts of the passage. Together they will have enough collective information to write a completed version of the text you just read.
When I use this exercise, I tell my students that they don't have to rewrite the text word for word. Rather, they are to use the information that each student in their group has to paraphrase what I read.