A familiar hue paints our home spaces with the most unique sounds: laughter ringing out from the kitchen, a pet’s paw rattling down the corridor, a sibling dispute arising in the playroom. The background to our lives is brimming with opportunities to hone a skill most of us know is essential but underestimate vastly: Listening. Even with a symphony of sounds around us, listening implies more than just having your ears open. Listening is about understanding and connecting. We have something to help you foster stronger skills in your kids. This guide, accompanied by a fantastic Goal Mine Class video, is dedicated to walking parents through the art of teaching “how to listen” (see the video for step one).
Table of Contents
| Step | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Step 1: Why Listening is Important | Enhances communication skills Fosters empathy and understanding Aids learning and nurtures creativity |
| Step 2: Techniques of Active Listening | Maintaining Eye Contact & Body Language Repeating, Summarizing & Asking Questions |
| Step 3: Common Obstacles In Listening | Tackling Distracting Environment Overcoming Prejudgment & Bias |
Step 1: Why Listening is Important
Listening is as intricate a step in conversation as speaking itself. However, its fundamental value is often overshadowed. When kids start mastering their listening skills, they set their communication skills on a solid path of clarity and deeper understanding.
Why would you say it’s crucial? Well, it’s simple. Good listeners are better communicators. They can absorb and interpret the ideas of others, leading to stronger and more effective communication. This transition typically aids kids in building more enriching relationships with those around them. So, are you convinced yet that focusing on listening skills is worth it?
The Skill That Comes Full Circle
Understanding the importance of listening also fosters empathy in kids. When they listen well, kids learn to appreciate perspectives that differ from their own, encouraging them to be more open-minded and accepting. Plus, better listening leads to better learning. Children who are accomplished listeners often excel academically, as they can better absorb and retain new information. Let’s not ignore the role listening plays in sparking innovation and creativity by letting others’ ideas sprinkle that much-needed spark.
Read more: ADHD and Communication in Kids
Step 2: Techniques of Active Listening
Active listening is not merely hearing words; it’s an engaging process where the listener is wholly absorbed in understanding the speaker’s message. To make it more tangible for our kids, let’s break down active listening into doable components:
Eye Contact & Body Language
Firstly, foster active engagement. Please encourage them to maintain eye contact and adopt open body language. Stress that they need to focus on the speaker fully. Active engagement looks like nodding when appropriate, maintaining a relaxed but attentive posture, and returning relevant and thoughtful responses.
Repeating, Summarizing & Asking Questions
Secondly, kids should learn to confirm and clarify the speaker’s intention. This can be done by repeating key points, summarizing the speaker’s ideas, or asking relevant questions to clarify misunderstandings. It ensures accuracy in understanding and shows the speaker you genuinely care about their thoughts.
Step 3: Common Obstacles In Listening
Let’s tackle this: Listening isn’t always easy. It has its challenges, some of which we can anticipate. Understanding these obstacles can help your child become a better listener.
Goally | The Safest Tablet for Kids
Distracting Environment
Distracting surroundings can be a significant obstacle: the TV blaring, siblings playing, or dishes clattering in the background. Encouraging your kid to find a quieter spot during serious conversations can combat this.
Prejudgment & Bias
In contrast to physical distractions, some obstacles are internal. Prejudgments or bias against the speaker or topic hinder active listening. Teach your kids to acknowledge these biases, making it easier to be open and understanding.
Following these steps can make a huge difference in enhancing your child’s listening skills. Consider it a mission accomplished when you see those patient nods, the pondering moments of silence, and the questions flowing in for clarity. Such are the signs your instructions have paid off!
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.
Fine-tuning the Art of Listening
Helping your young one master the art of active listening takes time, persistence, and consistency, but ultimately, the effort you’ve put in will bear fruit. Remember, the Goal Mine Class video covering this guide’s first step gives you a visual breakdown of everything we’ve discussed. Beyond that, a world of video lessons is ready to be unlocked for curious minds right on the Goally’s dedicated Tablet. Transform the art of ‘how to listen’ from an underplayed ride in the symphony of sounds to a masterpiece that resonates in tune with understanding and empathy!
FAQ’s About How to Listen
What is Goally's approach to teaching kids 'how to listen'? Goally utilizes task analysis in video classes, breaking down 'how to listen' into easy, step-by-step techniques for kids. How can Goally improve my child’s listening skills? Goally’s engaging video lessons, based on skill breakdowns, can help enhance your child’s attention span and improve their ability to follow instructions - key factors in effective listening. Is Goally effective for teaching 'how to listen' to kids? Absolutely! Goally’s systematic approach, combined with engaging content, makes it an effective tool for teaching kids the valuable skill of listening. What age group is Goally suitable for when teaching 'how to listen'? Goally offers learning material ideal for kids aged 2-12, facilitating engaging and interactive lessons to learners at various levels. How does Goally make learning interactive? Through Goally's interactive video classes, kids learn 'how to listen' by watching skill demonstrations and practicing the actions themselves, making the process interactive and fun.
Goally
We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.
