Are you looking for hacks to help students who do not listen to their peers? If so, keep reading.
1. Make sure that other students speak concisely when speaking to the student.
2. Teach and have the student practice listening for crucial information when they are being given instructions or receiving information (e.g., write down main points, ideas, step-by-step instructions, etc.).
3. Select a peer, paraprofessional, student, etc., to signal the student when they need to keep attention (e.g., the person can touch the student on the arm when it is time to listen).
4. Draft an agreement with the student. It should be written within their capacity and ability level and focus on only one behavior at a time. Indicate what behavior is required and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.
5. Get other students to stand in front of the student while speaking to them so the student will be more likely to listen to what others are saying.
6. Give chances for the student to talk to others on a one-to-one basis. As the student becomes more successful at listening and keeping attention, slowly include more people in conversations.
7. Minimize the emphasis on competition in the classroom. Competition may cause the student to become excited or distracted and fail to listen to what other students are saying.
8. Get the student to silently rehearse information just heard from other students to enable remembering essential information.
9. Train the student to ask for clarification if they do not understand information presented orally.
10. Train the student to ask people to repeat portions of a conversation they were unable to follow.
11. Let logical consequences happen (e.g., miss information, miss a school learning experience , etc.) due to the student failing to listen to others.
12. Train the student’s peers to preface statements with the student’s name to gain their attention before speaking.
13. Make sure that competing sounds (e.g., talking, noises, motion in the classroom, etc.) are silenced when other students are talking, enabling the student’s capacity and ability to listen to what others are saying.
14. Urge the student to say a mantra to themselves when entering a situation where they will receive instructions (e.g., listen carefully, listen carefully, listen carefully).
15. Get the student to repeat or rephrase what other students have said to them to ascertain what the student heard.
16. Select various people (e.g., peers, paraprofessionals, counselors, etc.) to help the student keep attention to conversations.
17. Maintain group settings that are quiet, well lighted, and at a comfortable temperature.
18. Converse with the student before starting a learning experience and remind them of the importance of listening to others.
19. Get the student to practice listening to what other students are saying (e.g., following simple instructions, sharing information, etc.).
20. Minimize the number of visual distractions in the classroom when listening is required (e.g., move the student’s work area away from windows, doors, etc.).
21. Read this article that we wrote on developing listening comprehension skills.
22. Read this article that we wrote explaining why verbal comprehension skills are important to academic success.
23. Read this article that we wrote on what you should do when your child struggles with verbal comprehension
