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Why should Active Listening Skills be developed in the Pre-School Years?
Developing active listening skills in preschool is crucial because these early years are a time of rapid brain growth and language development.
By nurturing active listening skills in preschool, you give children the tools they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, setting them up for a successful transition to school and beyond.
At Biolink our Ilisten program
is designed to enhance cognitive skills like attention
Memory, sequencing, inference, discrimination and vocabulary.
Strengthening these skills helps children:
Pay Attention an retain information
Sequence and recall information accurately
Make connections between different ideas
Differentiate between similar sounds and words
Build and use an expanded vocabulary
Why Should Neurodivergent Pre-School Children develop their Active Listening Skills?
Developing active listening skills in Neurodivergent preschool children is particularly important for their overall development and success. Here's why:
1. Strengthening these skills helps children:
Neurodivergent children, such as those with ADHD, autism, or sensory processing challenges, often face difficulties with communication. Active listening helps them better understand spoken language, process verbal instructions, and engage in conversations, which can improve their ability to express themselves and interact with others more effectively.
2. Supports Focus and Attention
Many neurodivergent children struggle with maintaining focus and attention. Teaching them active listening techniques helps train their brains to pay attention for longer periods, improving their ability to follow instructions, complete tasks, and stay engaged in learning activities.
3. Improves Social Understanding
Neurodivergent children often find it difficult to pick up on social cues and emotional expressions. By developing active listening skills, they can better understand the tone of voice, facial expressions, and context of conversations, which improves their social interactions and helps them build stronger relationships with peers and adults.
4. Enhances Problem-Solving and Learning
Active listening helps neurodivergent children process information more efficiently, allowing them to make sense of what is being communicated. This skill boosts their ability to understand concepts, ask relevant questions, and engage in problem-solving. It also prepares them for more structured learning environments, like school, where listening is key to academic progress.
5. Reduces Sensory Overload
For children who are easily overwhelmed by sensory input, like those with autism or sensory processing disorder, structured listening activities can help them focus on specific sounds or instructions while filtering out unnecessary noise. This can reduce anxiety and help them better manage their sensory environment.
6. Builds Emotional Awareness
Active listening encourages neurodivergent children to tune into both verbal and non-verbal communication. This can help them recognise their own feelings and the emotions of others, which is important for building emotional regulation and empathy—skills that are often more challenging for neurodivergent individuals.
7. Prepares for Academic Success
By developing active listening skills early, neurodivergent children are better equipped for the transition to school, where listening to instructions, following routines, and engaging with teachers and classmates are critical for success. This foundation helps them adapt to classroom settings and thrive in more structured environments.
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