Parenting is a dance of learning and teaching, and today, the spotlight shines on “listening skills.” If you, like many other parents, have struggled to explain this seemingly intangible skill to your child, don’t fret! You’re not alone, and we’re here to assist. We break down the concept of listening, transforming it into graspable, teachable steps through our comprehensive guide and corresponding Goal Mine class video for your kids. Now then, silence your phones, clear your calendars, and prepare your kiddos for a lesson in listening.
Table of Contents
| Step | Task |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Understanding Listening vs. Hearing |
| Step 2 | Emphasizing Active Listening |
| Step 3 | Teaching Body Language and Reinforcement |
Step 1: Understanding Listening vs. Hearing
Grasping the Difference
First, we must distinguish between merely hearing and truly listening to our kids. To do that, we could draw from real-life instances. For instance, you might point out when a dog barks nearby. Your child hears the bark, but do they understand it? Nope! Similarly, just because our ears can “hear” doesn’t mean our brains are “listening.” In other words, listening requires more than just aural acknowledgment.
Using Imagery
For a fun and easy way to help your child understand, try asking them to paint or draw what they hear when they close their eyes. This can be a fun way to illustrate the concept of actively listening rather than just hearing.
Step 2: Emphasizing Active Listening
What is Active Listening?
Simply put, active listening is the conscious decision to understand and engage with the speaker. It’s not just about what the words sound like but what they truly mean. Now, how do we teach this to our kids? It’s all about ratios: two ears, one mouth. Encourage your child to listen twice as much as they speak.
Practice Makes Permanent
To instill active listening, support kids during interactions. When they ask a question and get an answer, encourage them to repeat that answer back. Moreover, stimulate conversation by asking them open-ended questions. Reinforce active listening as a habit, not a chore.
Read more: How to Get an Autistic Child to Listen
Step 3: Teaching Body Language and Reinforcement
The Non-Verbal Connection
Listening isn’t just an auditory skill; our bodies do the talking too! So, teaching your child about body language is essential. Using dolls, action figures, or even themselves as models, demonstrate different listening postures like leaning in vs leaning back, maintaining eye contact vs looking away, etc.
Positive Reinforcement
Remember that building new skills is tough, and every milestone deserves a high five! Praise their efforts to use their “listening skills” correctly. This reinforcement will motivate your child and make listening less of a task and more of a rewarding experience.
Goally | 100+ Streaming Video Classes
Does your child need some extra guidance on building essential life skills? Goally’s skill building tablet for kids includes a TV app that has the most robust video library of skills training videos for kids. Ranging from content like “How to Brush Your Teeth” to “How to Make Friends at School,” we have dozens of interactive video lessons for kids with thinking and learning differences.
HERE’s a video explaining how to works.
Our guide combines simple and effective methods to make your child a commendable listener. But remember, however daunting it may seem now, helping your child learn how to listen is a valuable investment. After all, a great listener is more cooperative, empathetic, and understanding, developing into a well-rounded individual.
And you may now be pondering, where to from here? Our advice is to grab a Goally tablet! With it, you unlock the rest of our Goal Mine video lessons on listening skills (and much more!). These video classes are tailored to children and serve as a fun companion guide to our blogs. So, hang tight and enjoy the ride, watching your child transform these lessons into lifelong skills.
Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching Listening Skills
1. What is the difference between hearing and listening skills?
Hearing is a passive activity that simply involves perceiving sound, while listening skills are an active process that require comprehension and response.
2. How can I teach my child active listening skills?
You can enhance your child's active listening skills by practicing interactive tasks, like repeating back answers, responding to open-ended questions, and engaging in attentive body-language.
3. How can body language reinforce listening skills?
Positive body language like maintaining eye contact, nodding, and leaning forward can reflect attentive listening and comprehension.
4. How does Goally assist in teaching listening skills?
Goally offers interactive, step-by-step video classes that teach children the fundamentals of listening skills, using task analysis techniques to break down each skill into manageable portions.
5. What other features does Goally offer in addition to teaching listening skills?
In addition to teaching listening skills, Goally also offers classes on a variety of daily activities and life skills, uses motivating rewards systems, and provides personalized, adaptable settings for each individual child's needs.
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