Attention and listening skills play a crucial part in your child’s communication development and wider learning. Your child needs to be able to focus on things around them in order to interact with others and join in with activities.
Whole Group Signal
Have a whole group signal that alerts the children that an adult will be giving information and where there is an expectation that they look and listen before the instruction is given. This could be using a sound maker, an adult putting their hand in the air, and all children copying then watching and listening to an adult.
Visual Supports
Use visual supports such as a visual timetable and First/Then board - to show the structure of the day and help your child understand what is expected of them.
Minimise Distractions
Listening involves the ability to filter out distractions, it may help to remove distractions from the area where you want your child to listen. Keep wall displays neutral and consistent if possible.
Encourage Turn-taking
Giving opportunities for turn-taking will have a positive impact on their listening.
Proximity
Within group situations, sit children who need support with their listening close to you. This will allow your child to gain maximum benefit from visual and non-verbal clues and will enable you to monitor their listening and attention levels.
Encourage Participation
Listening is often viewed as a passive activity where children have to keep still. Encouraging and allowing them to join in with gestures, props and movement will help them to listen and maintain their attention for longer.
Techniques to support individual children:
Name Call
If your child is busy, try calling their name before talking to them or giving them an instruction.
Keep Language Simple
Encourage listening and attention by simplifying what you say. Try 'chunking' longer sentences into a series of shorter sentences.
Expression
Use your voice and facial expression to keep their interest in activities. Speak in a lively animated voice to make your words sound more interesting.
Get on Their Level
When talking to your child try and get down to their level so you're face to face with them. This helps them to know that you are talking to them and allows them to see your face.
Aims of targeted interventions might include:
You can access Speech and Language support by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123. Our opening hours are 8am-6pm Monday-Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Listen and respond to familiar words, such as daddy or snack.
Be interested in listening to sounds, songs and rhymes.
Concentrate for short periods of time (up to 10 mins) on a range of activities with adult support e.g looking at a book together.