How to teach kids to be good listeners
Many children think listening means staying quiet until it is their turn to talk. The lessons below treat it as a skill a child can practise, starting with where to look and what to think about while someone else is speaking.
What the Batch unit “Really Listen” covers
Listen so people talk, talk so people listen. It is unit 1 of the Getting Along track and has 5 lessons and 43 cards:
- Listening Is a Skill
- Ask & Follow Up
- Say It Clearly
- Read the Room
- Boss Level: Review
What the first lesson says
This is the actual text from lesson 1, “Listening Is a Skill”, word for word:
Listening isn't just waiting for your turn to talk. It's a real skill — eyes up, ears on, brain thinking about THEM.
Good listeners use three things at once: eyes on the person, ears on every word, brain thinking about what they mean.
A question from that lesson to try together
What does a real listener do?
- Thinks about the other person's words
- Plans what to say next
- Nods but thinks about pizza
Answer: Thinks about the other person's words — Yes! Your brain is on their words, not yours.
Try it at home
At dinner, let your child tell you about their day and ask a follow-up question about something they said. Then swap, so they do the listening and ask you.
Play the lesson
Open Batch in the browser, choose Getting Along, then Really Listen, and start with “Listening Is a Skill”. Whether an account is needed is answered in the FAQ.
Printables for the fridge
Two free PDFs for the Getting Along track. The checklist lists the lessons from 2 of the track's 3 units.
More guides: all Batch guides.