The Family ~ Communication ~ A Fun Lesson on Listening for Children

Children are not born with the ability to be active listeners.  They will listen if their interest is piqued, but instructions from Mom or a talking to from Dad isn't usually the kind of interest they seek!  But children can be taught to listen better if they are given clear instruction and the opportunity to practice.

Communication is about understanding - remember Dr. Covey's "Seek first to understand?"  Children can learn that with a few good habits.  When teaching them the body language of a good listener, here is a fun game of riddles even young children can play and understand.  Read the riddle and let them guess the answer.  You may want to make a simple poster to illustrate each thing.  At the end of the game, discuss the ideas we talked about yesterday at the Couch.

• An old proverb says that I will understand a person better if I walk in his shoes.  We are the part of your body where you wear you shoes.  When you are listening to someone, we should be still and not move. (feet)
• People say that when we are busy and helping, you will be happy and stay out of trouble.  But when you are listening to someone, we should be still, folded in your lap. (hands)
• We are the part of your body that you usually think of when you think about listening.  A wise person once said that since you have two of us and only one mouth, you should listen two times as much as you talk. (ears)
• There are also two of us.  When you are listening to someone, we should be wide open and looking at the person who is talking.  A lot of what the person is saying is done through the way his face and body look.  You will understand better when we are wide open. (eyes)
• When you are listening, you want to remember what the person is saying.  That will happen best when I am closed. (mouth)
• This riddle has two parts.  When you listen, you want to understand the person's ideas and the person's feelings.  You understand his ideas by using me.  You can't see me because I am inside your head. (brain)  You understand the person's feelings by using me.  You can't see me either, but you can feel me beating in your chest. (heart)

Games kids like to play include communication ball introduced at the Couch earlier this week; walking in each other's shoes [1]; role plays [2]; and the old-fashioned game of Telephone (also known as Gossip).  Try some with your children this week as you all learn to be better listeners.

[1] Have each child and adult in the game stand on a piece of colored construction paper and trace around both feet.  If possible, use a different color for each member of the family.  Pass around the pairs of "shoes" making sure that no one has his or her own.  When it is each person's turn, he or she stand in the "shoes" and  explains something simple (like how to make an ice cream sundae) the way he or she thinks that person would explain it.

[2] Write some simple and short scripts based on the ages of your children.  Let them take turns role playing the parts, with one person being the talker and one person being the listener.  Then switch sides so each person in the team gets a chance to play both parts.  Incorporate some of the skills we have talked about this week.

Text © 2012 Gebara Education

Picture of elephant from www.carloeducatetogether.com

Picture of shoe outline from www.mrmckensie.co.uk