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Ducks,
Alligators & Listening Skills
Copyright © 2006
Andrea
Simanson
All Rights Reserved
Ever heard someone share an idea and
suddenly the lights go on for you.
This happened to me when a teacher at our school shared an
idea. In her study skills class she has this little duck that she
passes around the classroom to teach listening skills. "How does a
duck teach listening skills?" I thought. Well, whoever has the duck
gets to talk. Anyone who doesn't have the duck gets to listen. You
get the picture.
"Ahah," I thought. Our 5-year
old talks non-stop. And though he's
delightful, he does need to learn when to talk and when not to talk.
Dinnertime can be annoying to the older siblings who can hardly get a
word in. So, we decided to try the duck game at the dinner table. We
didn't have a duck, so we used a rubber alligator. Guess what? Older
sibling faces lit up as they passed the alligator around and balanced
it on their heads while they took turns talking. Younger brother
sat quietly, eating, and listening while others talked. Wow - It
worked! We all had a pleasant time at dinner and we may be including
Mr. Alligator in future dinners and other family activities.
Andrea
Simanson is a wife
and
mother of three children, and the website and ezine editor of Successful Family Chores
- Putting FUN and ENERGY into everyday tasks. For a regular
dose of family organizational ideas and chore tips, sign up for her
free
bi-monthly newsletter by clicking here. |
