
Are you engaging appropriately? If your child communicates an idea, are you asking the appropriate questions and/or giving them the appropriate responses? Verbal and non-verbal responses are important when you are the listener.īy actively listening to your children, you are showing them the steps to become great listeners themselves! Kids Books on Becoming a Good ListenerĪnother method of teaching listening skills is based on 5 active listening techniques (grab a printable version of these from Wayne State University): 1.Show them you are listening by focusing on what they are saying. They know when their mom and dad are not paying attention to them. Are you focusing on what they are saying, and not letting your mind wander? Your child may be little, but they are very intuitive.When we look at them we are showing them that they have our undivided attention. Are you looking them in the eyes? Eye contact is such an important part of listening and communication.Are you putting away all distractions? This means your phone, computer, television, book, etc.As we know our children are just like sponges and soak up everything around them.īeing a good role model when it comes to listening is a great way we can impact our children and help them become great listeners.Īre you a good listening role model for your kids? Are You Modeling These Good Listening Skills for Kids? One of the best ways we can help our children to develop good listening skills is to model that ourselves. The Importance of Active Listening for Kids Try hosting a family team building games for kids and see how fun it is to work together and how important it is to listen to each other. It is great fun and will have them listening more intently than ever! 20. Play a little game everyday by dropping important, positive messages to your child in a way that appears just out of earshot. This can be used to a parent’s advantage by being conscious of what your child might be overhearing. Overheard Listening ExerciseĪ few years ago, I heard someone say that people believe things they “overhear” much more than things they are told. I love this following directions activities idea for kids which would work well at home or in the classroom to improve listening skills. This Grid Activity is the Perfect Listening Exercise for Kids Make a simple DIY telephone and then turn it into a listening game which is one of our favorite kids activities.ġ8. Listening activities are play activities! Don’t think of these listening activities as a lesson or something that needs to be forced, just play along! The more fun and interactive you can make anything (especially listening), the easier the listening activity will go! Help Your Children Improve Listening Skills with Listening Games How do you introduce a listening activity? One of the most overlooked ways to teach children listening skills is to model good listening behavior yourself! If you demonstrate active listening, positive reinforcement and follow polite conversation rules, it will be a much easier thing for kids to see what good listening looks like. Learning listening skills through games is not a new technique! Generations have used this way of teaching through traditional children’s games like Simon Says, Mother May I, Freeze tag, Red Light Green Light…in fact, most of the childhood games handed down from generation to generation has a listening component! How do you teach children listening skills? Hands on listening activities are not only fun but a way to hone listening skills as they develop. One of the reasons why we have created this list of fun activities to improve listening skills is that kids also learn better through play and practice. As in most places in life, kids learn what they observe better than what they are told (especially if they are not listening)! Teaching listening skills to kids starts with being a good example. How Do You Teach Young Children Listening Skills? Today we are sharing 20 fun listening exercises for children, listening games and silly activities you can use to teach your children to have good listening skills.

Best Listening Activities for Kids to Build Listening Skills Listen and move! What fun it can be to really listen to a friend.
