Speech and Language therapists in Singapore are often asked to provide tips on how to improve children’s listening skills. The following article, written by Amanda Baxter, an I CAN Communication Advisor, provides some top tips.
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Top tips for developing a child’s listening skills
- Make sure you speak to your child in small, bite sized chunks of information
- Turn off the TV and radio and dedicate time to talking and listening to each other
- Do not be afraid of silence – give children enough time to think about what you’ve said and to respond
- Make encouraging noises and sit attentively with your child – allowing them the chance to speak and respond. Use words such as ‘Wow’, ‘Uhuh’ and ‘Really?’ to encourage a greater number and significantly longer sentences from children
- Sit facing your child with an interested facial expression to encourage your child to say more
- Sit quietly with your child and observe, wait and listen to them when they speak or attempt to communicate in another way. Look for the clues that the children are giving us about what they are trying to say.
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Treetop Speech and Language therapy, Singapore.
