What is Listening Comprehension?
Listening comprehension is the precursor to reading comprehension, so it is an important skill to develop. Listening comprehension isn’t just hearing what’s being said—it’s being able to understand the words and relate to them in some way.
For example, when you hear a story read aloud, good listening and comprehension skills allow you to understand the story, remember it, discuss it, and even retell it in your own words. You use the same comprehension skills when reading.
How Listening Comprehension Develops
Listening comprehension begins at a young age when children interact with the people around them. It develops as they are read to and engage in conversation with their parents. The tone of voice, the pauses between words where emphasis is placed in a sentence, and the rhythm and pattern of speech all affect the meaning of the words spoken and the message they are intended to convey.
In the All About Reading Pre-reading programme, we encourage listening comprehension by discussing stories and characters, expanding vocabulary and exposing children to a wide range of listening experiences. Additionally, through the poetry in our Zigzag the Zebra and Lou the Lizard books and through reading aloud, children absorb language patterns that are not used as often in everyday conversation but are commonly used in books.
In elementary school, reading comprehension generally lags behind listening comprehension, so the best way for a child to develop higher levels of comprehension is through non-print sources (reading aloud, discussions, movies, etc.). Even after a child learns to read, listening comprehension is still important.
In All About Reading, we intentionally develop listening comprehension through story discussions, vocabulary development, and reading aloud. In this way, children grow in their knowledge of the world, absorb language structure, and make connections between old and new information.
4 Fantastic Ways to Develop Listening Comprehension
In addition to the activities built into All About Reading, you can help your child develop listening and comprehension skills by regularly engaging in the activities below.
- Play Fun Games
Play listening skills games like Mashed Potatoes. This silly game will give your child important listening practice and lots of giggles! Hebanz is another great game that will help you build your listening skills in a way that the whole family can enjoy. Find Virtual School
- Talk to Your Child
If your child does not understand what the words mean, understanding is not possible. The conversational method for teaching vocabulary is to simply talk to your child and expand their vocabulary on words they have not yet learned.
- Make Reading Aloud Interactive
Read lots of picture books out loud to your child. But not just read! You can help your child’s listening skills by turning reading into an interactive activity.
Here are some ideas:
- Briefly explain unfamiliar words and situations to help your child build understanding.
- Invite your child to make predictions. “What do you think will happen next?”
- Encourage your child to retell the story (or an exciting part of the story) to family members. Mealtime is often a good time to retell stories.
- Listen to Audio books Together
Listening to audio books is another great “reading” activity that provides plenty of opportunities to build listening skills. As you listen to the story together, react to it, laughing at the funny parts and expressing surprise or fear at appropriate moments.
Listening Comprehension is One of the Big Five Skills
Listening comprehension is one of the Five Critical Reading readiness skills we call the Big Five Skills. The other four skills are:
- Print Awareness
- Literacy
- Phonological awareness
- Motivation to read
If you’re ready to master the rest of the Big Five skills, be sure to check out the All About Reading Preschool program. Your student will enjoy the special games, crafts, and story-time, and you’ll love the way your student effortlessly learns basic pre-reading skills.