How To Improve Your Preschooler’s Listening Skills

• Encourage
  your preschooler to repeat your directions.
  For example, when you say, “please pick up your toys” and
  your child doesn’t move, ask her what you just said. This will
  eventually became a habit that your child does internally, repeating
  instructions in her mind once they are said and then acting on them.
• Engage
  your child in step-based activities like cooking or origami.
  You can read directions to your child and then show her how to act them
  out. This can hone listening skills in the context of every day activities,
  such as cooking.

• Model
  good listening skills.
  Often, when our preschoolers babble on about their days, we go on automatic
  pilot with our responses. Model good listening skills by paying attention
  to the stories that your child tells you and asking engaging questions
  about them.
• Play
  listening games with your child. Simon Says is a common listening
  game which requires children to pay attention to the words being said.
  Many computer games are now available which can help you with this.
• Play
  rhyming games.
  Rhyming is something which requires listening skills because your child
  has to work to identify sounds that sound the same. As your preschooler
  gets old enough to recognize rhymes, rhyming games will help with developing
  those listening skills.
• Read
  aloud to your child every single day.
  Reading to your children helps them on many different levels, including
  improving their listening skills. Engage your child in the reading process
  to make sure that she is actively listening. You can do this by asking
  questions, having her add on to the story or seeing if she can memorize
  parts of her favorite tales.
• Show
  your child how to use all of her senses. Explain about the
  five senses and give her ample opportunity to use each of them. For
  example, at the zoo you can ask your child what she sees, smells, and
  hears from certain animals. This will not only give her good listening
  skills but will hone her other senses and help her to develop a greater
  capacity for attention to details.
• Talk
  with your child.
  Simply engaging in regular conversation with you on a regular basis
  will teach your child listening skills.
• Use
  multi-step directions. When your preschooler is young, you
  often have to direct her with single-step tasks such as “pick
  up your toys”. As she gets older, you can add multi-step tasks
  (“pick up your toys and then put your shoes on”) so that
  she can develop the attention to listening to multi-step directions
  and following them.

Listening
skills are something that your child is going to use for the rest of her
life. They will be the cornerstone of communication in positive relationships,
the basis for strong academic skills and the foundation of her ability
to work with others in all situations. Bear in mind that it’s part
of your job as a parent to exercise patience in teaching her these skills
so that she can be a better listener for the rest of her life.