In the News - August 2008
Listening is Critical to Learning and Academic Success
MURFREESBORO, Ark. - Listening is a vital skill that needs to be developed in
children at an early age. Much of what is learned in school or in life comes
through listening. Children need to have strong listening abilities in order to
perform well in school.
Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent with the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture, said, "Listening requires a skill set that is more
advanced than those required in the act of hearing. Just because one hears words
does not mean the message is understood."
Listening takes practice and concentration; hearing does not. Good listening
requires the active participation of the listener. Hearing, on the other hand,
doesn't take any added effort.
Children often are accused of not listening in class. When this happens,
their schoolwork suffers. McKinnon said, "If parents do their part at home in
polishing their child's listening skills, they'll make it easier for the child
to listen in school."
McKinnon recommended that parents talk with their children about the
importance of listening in school. "Make them aware that listening will help
them to understand what is going on," she said. By listening, the child will
learn the material in class, and that should help improve grades.
"Stress to your child that failing to listen will make it impossible for them
to know what is going on," advised McKinnon. Children who fail to learn the
material in class will, most likely, not make good grades.
Listening is one of the four communication skills. The others are reading,
writing and talking. Of these four, listening is the most neglected. Most
children will learn to listen on their own.
"Listening is rarely taught in school; it's a skill that students are
expected to naturally understand," said McKinnon. For this reason, parents need
to prepare their children for school by teaching them how to listen at home.
McKinnon suggested that parents explain to their children that listening
means to pay attention, to note carefully. "Explain that listening occurs
primarily through one of our five senses: hearing. Other senses are involved in
the listening process, such as seeing the expression on the speaker's face. Such
sensory clues help the listener to fully understand what the speaker is saying,"
she said.
Listening can also help people to learn and understand information. "We
listen to our friends, parents, leaders and, teachers to make sense out of
information, to analyze problems and put together ideas," said McKinnon.
Listening to teachers in the classroom can help students learn big ideas,
details, skills and procedures and processes. Listening leads to learning when a
student understands important points, reviews important points and reflects on
these important points.
McKinnon recommended that parents set a good example for their children.
"Let your child finish a sentence; don't cut him or her off or interrupt.
Maintain eye contact and display a pleasant disposition that shows interest in
what he or she is saying," she said. In this way, parents can model good
listening for their children.
For more information about developing listening skills, please contact your
county extension agent or visit www.uaex.edu . The
Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
August 1, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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