You may need to adjust the vocabulary, length and complexity of language to the needs of the individual child.
The size of the group may affect the child's ability to listen.
There are children who can listen very well while appearing not to do so. It may be useful for these children to learn how difficult this is for speakers - through role play between adults, and through open discussion of how this makes the speaker feel.
Others who genuinely find listening difficult may be helped by thinking about it in visual terms - what does listening look like? The actions of preparing their arms, legs, eyes and ears become a habitual reminder to listen.
Holding up a hand ('give me five') can act as a quick clue to listening.
NB: Older students are expected to listen without necessarily looking at the speaker, for instance, while looking at a textbook. Some of them may need guidance to make this shift in listening behaviour.
Group/individual focus
For some children, especially those who have/had hearing difficulties, there may be a great difference in their ability to respond to environmental sounds and to speech sounds.
Other children may have mentally switched off from listening to speech - it may not have been helpful to them in the past because of diminished hearing, or difficulties in understanding. They may need the stimulation and sheer pleasure of listening games involving non-speech sounds in order to reverse this habit.
There are many commercial materials available, but musical instruments or home-made listening tapes can be equally valuable.
Some techniques to improve listening:
- implement classroom code of behaviour for listening and make sure all children understand the 'rules' and routines
- reward systems for good listening may be apropriate
- check you have everyone's attention before starting to speak
- some individual children may need to be alerted by name
- signposting: give warnings of the need to listen very carefully or listen out for a paticular item/piece of information
- Circle Time, by its very nature, promotes active listening.