Website Archive - October

Spotlight on Listening

Children

The world of CBeebies at the BBC includes all kinds of stories, songs, and many activities. Here are two of them. Make sure your sound and speakers are on.

The short “Not So Long Song” describes how we’re surrounded by sound and encourages children to listen to the sounds around them, even when they think they are listening to silence.

“Wishing Upon a Star” is a short, well-illustrated story about a moon that wishes to be awake at night so it can see the children of the world at play and a tiny star that helps the moon make its wish come true.

Cognitive Concepts’ GameGoo is not your usual online games. The Beginner Level is designed for preschool and includes learning games which “help develop early reading skills identified as important language arts building blocks in state curriculum standards.” (Cognitive Concepts, Inc.)  Children will develop listening skills as they follow directions and listen to sounds of letters in these games.

Tina’s World of Make Believe challenges children to discern if Tina’s story is make-believe or real.

In Tina’s World of Buggy Trails children must follow Tina’s direction to find the bugs along the trail.

Parents

Gayle’s Preschool Rainbow offers a number of activities that parents can do at home to help children develop listening skills. From drawing and discussing pictures to preparing basic recipes to sorting and searching, all activities help to develop and expand listening and understanding skills. Best of all, these activities use inexpensive, ordinary household items.

This article “Fun Activities to Promote Listening Skills” by Holly Hanke offers simple and fun activities for helping to develop children’s listening skills based on the child’s learning style. Not sure what type of learner your child is? A quiz is included to help determine your child’s style of learning.

Teachers

Go to Core Knowledge Preschool Lesson Plans, Select Language, and It's Learning Time

It’s Not Just Story Time…It’s Learning Time!  By Ebony (Nikki) Grant, Head of the Class Childcare & Learning Center, Monticello, AK (Abstract)

Thislesson focuses on the use of storybooks throughout the curriculum. Activities and ideasare provided that will help children meet the Core Knowledge goals of Storybook Reading and Storytelling. Children develop language skills through the process of being read to, and so it is important for teachers to create literacy opportunities in the classroom. As they grow, children will learn the concepts of listening and retelling stories. Books are used to enhance these skills, in addition to preparing children as they begin to read and write. Thislesson plan explores fun ways to integrate areas such as science, math, and art into story time.

From the Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and No Child Left Behind, comes “Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers, Child Care & Family Providers"

This article addresses the language skills children need and how teachers help develop those skills...  Some very simple but effective guides for teachers and caregivers striving to help develop listening and speaking skills in preschoolers.

 

 

[Posted on September 29, 2005]