How to Help Toddlers Develop Listening Skills
- 1). Talk with your child about ordinary things that may happen during the day and quiz him on things you both hear. For example, if you're in line at a fast food restaurant and the person behind the counter gives a total, you can ask your child "How much did he say that was?" If you're in a grocery store, you can ask one of the clerks where the eggs are, and after she answers, ask your child "Where did she say the eggs are at?"
- 2). Read books aloud to your child. After each page, you can ask your child what she thinks will happen next. At the end of the story, quiz her about events in the story to see how well she was listening.
- 3). Play games with your child that encourage listening skills, such as "Simon Says." You can also play the game of "gossip," in which you form a circle with a group of people (at least four-five works best) and start by whispering a sentence into the child's ear. He then whispers it to the person next to him and so on until it comes back to you, and you can check to see if the sentence is still the same.
- 4). Watch a recorded children's show together. You can pause the tape throughout the show and ask your child what just happened, then rewind the tape to see if he was correct. Be sure you praise him for what he gets right as well as point out any discrepancies so he can get it right the next time.
- 5). Sing one of your child's favorite songs with her, but be sure to change important words in the song to see if she'll notice. When your child points out the "mistakes," be sure to congratulate her for being a good listener. You can also do this with one of her favorite stories. Just change the story around and see if she notices.