Listen Up: Why Active Listeners Are Good Learners
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Distractions are simply everywhere, vying for students' attention and tempting them to disengage from learning. There's the TV. The video games. There's the music on the radio, the cars zipping by outside, the friend passing a note. As parents and tutors, we must emphasize the importance of listening. When we really listen, we learn.
There is a huge difference between listening and hearing. Hearing is passive. We might hear the dishwasher humming in the next room or the rain tapping on the window, but we aren't paying close attention. Listening, on the other hand, is active. We listen to our friends' problems so that we can help them. We listen to our favorite songs because the words mean something to us. Good students are good listeners. Listening leads to understanding, which leads to boosted academic confidence. Here are a few activities to help your child become a better listener.
Role Reversal: A lot of kids assume that their tutors are perfect readers. Not only is this untrue—no one's perfect, after all—but it can also lead to passivity. When a student hears a story or chapter read aloud, there is no invitation to participate. Some students click off their brains, hoping they won't get called on to repeat some factoid from the chapter. Help your child feel engaged and invested by inviting her to correct you as you read. That's right—intentionally mispronounce words or jumble sentences! Give your child a copy of the passage you're going to read. She will actively listen so that she can correct your mistakes. This is a fun way to help your child see she has a stake in listening and paying attention.
What's That Word?: In this active-listening activity, you give your child a short passage with nine or ten words omitted. (You can either remove the words with White-Out and then make a photocopy, or write your own fill-in-the-blank passage.) Then, read the passage aloud to your child, asking him to fill in the blanks as he hears each missing word. Depending on your child's grade level and writing abilities, you may want to read slower than your normal pace (or read the passage twice). For a fun variation on this activity, use a book of Mad Libs. You and your child can take turns filling in the blanks with a variety of silly words. The bonus? You'll be teaching listening skills and parts of speech!
Spoken Cloze Activity: Cloze activities ask students to predict which word belongs in a sentence. In their typical written form, these exercises are a great way to teach about context clues. In this verbal variation, you can ask your child to listen closely and predict what word should come next. For example, you might say, "I was wearing my mittens and three layers of socks, but I still shivered because it was so . . ." or "Meg heard a soft 'woof' from behind the door. Then, she heard the scampering of paws. This was the best birthday ever, because her gift was a . . ." By actively listening, your child will be able to tell you that the words "cold" and "dog" come next.
A qualified online tutor can also help your child become a more engaged listener. You and your child's tutor may find the following materials helpful in creating listening exercises:
Cloze In On Language, Grades 5-7
Contemporary Cloze, Grades 6-8
If you need to find a tutor for your child, compare solutions
and decide which is best for your family.
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