Listening skills help children learn to interact and collaborate with others and acquire knowledge through guided learning and practice. According to educator Richard Hunsaker, critical listening skills enable children to understand both the nature and content of speech, including the use of language to persuade and the distinction between fact and opinion.
Active Listening
Active listening enables children to both hear and retain the content of what has been said, points out Littleonesreadingresource.com. Although very young children may be unable to remain still during active listening, educators can assess their level of engagement by abruptly stopping a dramatic reading and noting their responses. Active listening also means watching body language for additional content clues.
Visualization
Visualizing information can help children retain and understand information that they hear, notes the website Brainpopjr.com. While older children may be able to take notes or draw pictures to help them retain content, younger children may need to create pictures in their minds, points out the website.
Evaluation
Children who are able to evaluate language can interpret rather than blindly accept persuasive claims, states Education.com. Children are exposed to promises in advertisements and in political campaigns, as well as the opinions of their peers. When they learn to decipher the mix of emotion and logic in other people's ideas, they can make more informed decisions.
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