Listen to me, Mum: Supporting Literacy Through Listening

Today we welcome Childhood 101’s newest regular contributor, Pauline Soo of Lessons Learnt Journal, with a post about the importance of listening to children’s literacy learning.

“Mum, listen to me.”

I’ve got a thousand arms doing a thousand things simultaneously. I’m cooking lunch, I’m picking up toys, I’m washing up, I’m checking that pot on the stove, I’m picking up toys, I’m wiping Miss K’s nose, I’m setting up the table, I find Mr. E’s lost Jedi toy, I’m filling up drink bottles, and here’s the impressive bit – I’m doing all that AND answering the waves of questions my 5 year old twins are shooting my way. The only problem is, I’m not quite sure what they’ve asked. I just say, “Uh – huh”. Fingers crossed, I haven’t missed anything important and they haven’t asked me any critical questions that will affect the rest of their lives.

“Mum, listen to me.”

Life gets hectic, right? I am a terrible listener when life is hectic.

Fast-forward two hours. The house is quieter. Miss K and Mr. E are having their afternoon nap. I’m sitting at the table with my five year old twins. They’re leisurely flipping through a pile of books. The waves of questions are still coming at me. I’m still not quite sure what they asked. I just say, “Uh- huh”.

Somehow, somewhere along my parenting journey, I’ve slumped into the habit of listening poorly. I have become distracted. I have become uninterested.

When I am not listened to, I feel frustrated. When what I say goes unheard, I feel unappreciated. I wonder if this is how my kids feel?

The home and parents are important first educators of children. By not listening to my children, I’m missing moments to connect with them, and the great teaching and learning opportunities that come with those moments.

Literacy begins in infancy and develops within the events and interactions of a family. As parents we need to be careful not to assume that there is only one path to literacy. We need to be willing to listen to our children, and include them as constructors and co-learners of their own literacy. We need to involve them in their own literacy learning.

It is our children who can tell us the meaning and importance of significant events in their lives. By listening to them, we learn more of what they know and about their interests. If we listen and let them express their own knowledge about their world, this will make their literacy learning so much richer. There will be more engagement and relevance. When they are listened to and valued, learning will be so much richer.

“Mum, listen to me.”

Here are four typical barriers to effective listening to be aware of:
1. Lack of interest – are you interested in what your child is saying?
2. Physical environment – are there too many distractions around you? (I know my phone is a constant source of distraction!)
3. Prejudices – do we really value what our children have to say?
4. Attitudes – do we want to follow our children’s lead?

When a person is heard, they feel valued and important. Want to support your child’s literacy? Engage them in conversations and listen to them.

“Mum, listen to me.”