Are you having trouble getting preschool students to settle down and listen? Try some of these activities that encourage the art of effective listening, a necessary educational skill.
Put Your Listening Ears On!
Take advantage of these activities you could use either at home or in preschool. Some of them might be new, while others are more
familiar; however they all focus on the art of listening. Have fun while promoting skill development with these listening activities for preschool children.
Listening Activities
Simon Says:
Simon Says is a classic listening activity. Have your students gather together and listen for when to mimic Simon. Common phrases are “Simon says touch your toes,” and “Simon says turn around.” But watch out! Their time is up when they continue to follow the facilitator instead of Simon. Start slow, and as this activity progresses throughout the year you should see your preschoolers become more effective listeners. After all, the harder you listen in this activity, the longer you can play!
What Am I?:
Again have the preschoolers sit together. Provide sounds, descriptors, and even impressions for these deductive reasoning activities. Some examples could be: car, apple, duck, and a teacher. If the answer is car you could state: how they can be many sizes and colors, but they must be big enough to sit in, they sound like “honk, honk,” and when I am in one I can travel anywhere (while you are mimicking steering a steering wheel). The children will have to listen for the clues to come up with the answer!
Telephone:
This is another classic activity in which listening is the focus. Have the class sit in a circle. Whisper a phrase such as “Susie’s sweater is red.” in the ear of a student. Have that student whisper it in the ear of the next child and so on. See how far the message can travel correctly. Although this activity is humorous when the final statement varies wildly from the initial one, use positive reinforcement to motivate your children to listen closely. Cheer them on when they finish with the correct sentence and congratulate them for being such good listeners!
Very Short Story:
Have the children gather together and tell them a simple three sentence story. An example could be: “A girl walked down the road. She picked an orange flower. She gave the flower to her mommy.” Then ask, “What color was the flower?” This skill may take longer to acquire, but with time and persistence could be extremely beneficial for your preschoolers in the realm of effective listening.
Educational Benefits
The ability to listen might be biological in nature, but it may also be developed through multiple educational experiences. Offer your students these experiences via these additional listening activities for preschool children . Whether you use them at home or in the preschool setting, they are sure to be a great hit!
