Listening Activities with 5 – 7 year olds

Listening is a skill humans develop all their lives. We learn to talk by experimenting with sounds and words. At school, your child is expected to listen to a variety of instructions, and sit for long periods of time, with a large number of children. They will need to be developing skills to listen as part of a group – instead of having instructions given one-to-one. This requires stamina and concentration.

The activities listed below are an ideal way of developing extended listening skills. Listening supports the development of communication. It is important to read/sing/ the same story/song/nursery rhyme several times. This helps your child to gain confidence and increases their spoken vocabulary. Do not be put off if your child does not join in speaking or singing in some of the activities. Children often take a long time to join in – they are busy listening. Praise all efforts with a kind word, a hug, a smile.

The important thing is that it should be FUN for your child/children and you!

• Play memory games using home made or bought musical instruments ie shakers, jingles. You make a sound and your child has to copy it. Change the rhythm, and use one or two instruments. This can become very complex depending on how long you both want to play.
• Sing The Wheels on the Bus – and make up your own versions of the song
• Watch a video together and discuss what you have seen. Get your child to say what they liked and did not like about the programme. Encourage your child to make a picture or art work to go with programme.
• Play with puppets and get them to talk in different characters playing with different voices. Make up your own stories together. Try to add sound effects by using your voice in different ways.
• If your child is using technology at home, for example an X-Box or computer, play the games with them. It is also useful for your child to explain to you or another adult or child, how to play the game. Play games that encourage your child to match sound to actions.
• Play guess the animal game : take turns making the noise of an animal and see if the other person can guess what animal it is.
• Play pass the parcel : Wrap a small treat up in a parcel and put lots of layers of wrappings on. Pass the parcel around with music on. When the music stops the person who is holding it can unwrap one layer. The person who unwraps the last layer keeps the treat! Vary this by hiding different object between each layer eg. teddies, dolls and forfeits. Make the forfeits easy like jump 3 times, hop on one leg, or sing a rhyme.
• Play Simon Says. As your child gets used to this game, they can be in charge and give you instructions.
• Sing familiar songs but substitute other words. For example
  Baa Baa white sheep,
  have you any wool,
  no sir no sir,
  I am off to the pool,
  I have got my trunks on
  underneath my clothes,
  I’m going to have fun
  with my dad and Rose.
• Bedtime: read a story and/or sing a song at bedtime. Your child may want the same story again and again. This is to be encouraged as they become familiar with the story and can attempt to “read” by following the pictures. Your child can also play some of the characters and try out different voices.
• Encourage your child to use climbing frames and equipment in the park and get them to pretend the equipment is a rocket or a helicopter and talk about what they are doing as they do it. Combining these skills is making mind and body work together.
• When out walking, listen to the environmental sounds around you and name them. Talk about what type of sounds you are hearing – loud, soft, crackling, and how near or far those sounds are to you.
• Get your child to run simple errands such as “ask dad if he would like a cup of coffee or tea” See how many items your child can remember- the average 5 year old should be able to remember at least 4 items from a list.
• Make a shopping game Gather items from around the house. Set them up on a table as a pretend shop. Send your child to the pretend shop to get items for you. Increase the number of items your child has to remember.