Listening skills - anyone got any hints/tips for ds1 aged 7 (nearly 8)

[DrZeus]

Following a conversation with one of ds1's teachers, it would appear that he has listening / concentration issues. I know that I have to often repeat an instruction at home but it seems that at school there is a wider issue and it's now been highlighted. Obviously I want to do what I can to improve the situation. I thought about arranging a hearing test with GP to rule out any hearing issues. Has anyone got any strategies I could follow please? Also if anyone else has any experience of this, I'd be interested to know what you have done.

TIA
Dr Zeus

I would always suggest a hearing test as first thing to try. Rule out the easy solutions first.

Activities to develop listening and attention skills

1. Listening to sounds on CD ? there are commercial materials available, or you can make your own. Sound lotto - ELC
2. Sound bingo ? listening to sounds on CD and covering the correct picture.
3. Sound walk ? listening for different sounds they head on a walk, then using these to paint a picture or compose a group poem.
4. Simon says ? listen carefully for specific instructions and then do the actions.
5. Share reading ? using big books to help focus attention on the visual cues.
6. Circle-time activities ? when one child is speaking they could hold a listening shell, which means that everyone else (including the adults) must listen to what they say.
7. Story CDs ? listening-centre activities can include listening to story CDs interspersed with activities related to the text.
8. Who am I? ? miming activities can be related to a classroom topic (story characters, occupations, people in the school).
9. Messages ? ask the pupils to recall simple messages.
10. Chinese whispers ? pass an action message round the circle. The last person to receive the message has to perform the action.
11. Listen and colour ? colour a picture by listening to the instructions.
12. Listen and draw ? draw a picture by listening to the instructions .
13. Twenty questions ? allow your son twenty (or 5 or 10 depending how long you think he will stay interested) questions to discover the identity of a hidden object .

If you don'w do so already, make him turn off the TV / computer/ DS, etc when you want him to listen to you.

Thanks for the replies. I've made an appointment for Monday after school with the GP and will see what happens. I'll speak to his class teacher as well to see what strategies she suggests. I guess I was a bit shocked on Friday when this was raised.

We have had this issue since dd started school. She has virtually no concentration apart from when she is reading. She has taken omega 3+6 supplements for around 3 years now so goodness knows what she'd be like without them. Recently she was diagnosed with glue ear and will be having grommets fitted in December.

My dd1 has glue ear which affects her hearing, but have not noticed a problem with concentration. It is difficult to attract her attention though and sometimes she needs to be tapped on the shoulder instead of called.

Kreecher - my dd is having grommets fitted on weds, along with her adenoids out. Fingers crossed she'll be able to hear afterwards. At least I should know then if she really is just ignoring me!

Well, been to GP and have got a referral for a hearing test. At least I'll know whether there is an issue or not. Just have to sit back and wait for the appointment now.