🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
- 🤝 Social Competence — The ability to join a group, initiate friendship, negotiate conflicts, and cooperate toward a shared goal are the social skills that determine whether kindergarten is a joyful or miserable experience.
- 🔢 Early Mathematical Thinking — Hands-on counting, sorting, pattern work, and early number sense build the mathematical foundation that kindergarten math curriculum builds on and that research consistently links to long-term math achievement.
- 💬 Language & Communication — A child who can express needs clearly, tell a sequential story, ask for help appropriately, and answer questions in complete sentences has the language toolkit that classroom participation requires.
- ⚡ Executive Function — Kindergarten demands enormous executive function: remembering multi-step directions, stopping one activity and starting another, following rules consistently, and managing impulses in a group. Early executive function development is the highest-return kindergarten readiness investment.
Listening skills are essential for preschooler's success in school. Children who are able to listen well and follow instructions will thrive in the school setting. Preschoolers able to follow directions will be better prepared to demonstrate their academic skills in kindergarten. Practice listening skills with your preschooler by using everyday moments, playing games and telling stories.
Everyday Life
Each day at home provides an opportunity to build listening skills. Use household tasks as a chance to practice listening and following one, two and three step directions. Listening for directions and following them is a learned skill, your preschooler will have to practice more complex tasks before mastering them.
Give simple tasks to your preschooler initially. For example, "Pick up your shoes." As they become adept at following one step directions, progress to additional steps. Examples of two and three step directions are: "Pick up your shoes and put them in your room." "Put your cup on the table, go pick up your shoes, then put them in your room."
Story Telling
Most preschoolers have favorite stories. Parents read or tell the same story over and over. Pretend that you have forgotten the story and ask them to tell you the story instead. Use this enthusiasm for stories to build listening skills. Your preschooler will amaze you with what they remember.
While driving in the car, tell a story to your preschooler. Ask your preschooler to repeat the story back to you. Notice the details he has gotten correct and point them out to him. Talk about specific details to encourage your preschooler to listen more closely. Know your preschooler; spend time telling stories that appeal to their personality.
Games
Preschoolers learn how to play games through listening and observation. Playing new games with your preschooler allows them a chance to practice their listening skills. Listening games such as "Simon Says," become appropriate as your preschooler nears kindergarten entry. These type of games cost nothing and preschoolers enjoy them.
Purchase age appropriate board games then read and explain the rules to your preschooler. As you play the game with your preschooler, you will probably have to remind them how to play the game. This gives more opportunities for your preschooler to practice her listening skills. Most preschoolers will have to hear the rules repeatedly to remember and understand them.
Preschooler's learn much of what they know through listening. Parents can consciously work on these listening skills to strengthen their preschooler's academic skills. Practicing listening in daily life, by telling stories and by playing games makes building listening skills enjoyable for your preschooler.
