Listening Launches
Listening Launches

When a child is confronted everyday with sounds and noises and more sounds and noises it becomes difficult to truly listen for a directed purpose. Listening involves the ability to hear and distinguish sounds in words, a skill necessary when translating written symbols into sounds and words, which is the foundation of reading. Through listening, the child will not only develop these abilities but will build vocabulary skills and learn the building blocks of verbal communication.


1. Rhyme a Story- animated gif

Make up a story together but tell it in rhymes. Begin by making up the first sentence. For example, you might say, “The dog went for a walk.” Invite the child to make up a rhyming sentence, then another sentence for you to rhyme. Explain to the child that his or her second sentence does not have to rhyme with his or her first sentence. For example, the child would add “The dog began to talk. Then the dog began to run.” Then you would continue with : “He wanted to get out of the sun. He found a tree to lie under.” Continue until you and the child are satisfied with the ending.


2. Do You Remember? boy thinking animated gif

Begin by telling ten things about yourself to the child. Your list may include such things as “I like dogs,” “yesterday I ate spaghetti for dinner,” or “the red shirt I am wearing is the one Grandma gave me.” Then invite the child to tell ten personal facts as well. After both of you recited a list of ten personal facts, take turns trying to remember and repeat as many of the statements from the other person’s list as possible.


3. Secret Word- Shhh!! Quiet As A Mouse Gifs Images

Choose a word, and keep it a secret. It must be a word that is used often, such as water or a pet’s name. Then agree on a sound for the secret word together- for example, tapping your foot or whistling. Each time the word comes up in conversation, you will perform the signal. The game can take place during other activities such as preparing lunch, cleaning the house, or taking a walk. How long does it take the child to determine what the secret word is?


4. What Was That Sound? animated gif

Have the child close his or her eyes and listen carefully. Then make a sound by using a common household item: shake a key chain, switch a light off and on, open and close a drawer, or rapidly flip through the pages of a book. After you have made the sound, ask the child to guess the name of the object making the sound.


5. Story Opposites-

Take turns creating opposite versions of the same story. Begin by telling a simple story. Ask the child to retell the story, changing as many things as possible to their opposites. You may want to offer suggestions to get the child started. In the story Cinderella , for example, you might tell how the shoe did not fit. After the child has taken a turn, discuss any other opposites that could be added to the story. Then invite the child to make up or read a story for you to change, or give the child another attempt at a new story.


6. Sound Switch- blklight1_b.gif

Explain to the child that you both will take turns changing a word, one sound at a time. Then choose a word that has two or more syllables. Take the first turn, and change one sound. Then invite the child to try to change another sound in the word. Continue to change the word, sound by sound, until you are both satisfied that the word is quite different then the original. Use following example to get you started.

EXAMPLE: bubble, rubble, ripple, triple, triplet, tripping, sipping, skipping, skipper