Dear Parents:
One of the most valuable skills your child can
learn is that of listening. In fact, more than
fifty percent of what your child will learn in
school will depend on how well he or she is able
to listen and follow directions. Young children
need to be able to understand, remember, and act
on what they hear, both at home and when they
begin school.
You can help your child develop good listening
skills through some of the following
activities. Try to use some of them every day
as you and your child learn and play together.
1.
Be sure to read stories to your child on
a regular basis. You may wish to point to words
as you read them aloud. This helps your child
understand the relationship between spoken and
written language. As you read, omit a word and
let your child suggest one that makes sense in
the context. Ask your child questions about the
selection to emphasize his or her oral
comprehension.
2.
Take time to listen to your child
patiently and without interruption. Share the
events in your day (at home or at work), using
the terms first, next, last, before and after.
Ask your child about his or her day by using
these sequence words. For example, you might
ask, “What did you do first today?” or “What
happened right after lunch?”
3.
As you make requests of your child, note
the number of directions your child can recall
and respond to correctly. Make a game of
gradually increasing the number of directions he
or she can follow. Let your child make up
directions for you to follow as well.
4.
From time to time, take a walk with your
child around the block or neighborhood. Ask
your child to listen for various sounds and to
identify them. You may wish to make a recording
of the sounds you hear on your walks or around
the house.
5.
Play a rhyming game with your child. Say
two rhyming words to your child and ask for one
more word that rhymes with the first two. For
example, if you say “hop, mop,” your child could
say “top.” Read nursery rhymes or rhyming
poems, leaving out alternate rhyming words. Let
your child complete the rhymes as you pause.
6.
Introduce your child to rhythm by having
him or her clap to the beat of music, move to
its rhythm, or play homemade instruments in time
to the music.
Sincerely,
Melanie Samuelson
