Children’s, Women’s and Family Services
Children’s Therapy Services
Speech and Language
Therapy
Attention and Listening in the
Early Years
Princess Royal Health Centre
Greenhead Road
Huddersfield
HD1 4EW
Broad Street Plaza
Halifax
West Yorkshire
HX1 1UB
Tel: 01484 344299
Tel: 01422 261340
Website: www.cht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapy-services
INVESTOR IN PEOPLE
Typical development of attention and listening
0-1 year
Attention is fleeting and children are easily distracted.
1-2 years Children can concentrate on their own task but don’t like
to be interrupted!
2-3 years Children can focus on one thing. They find it hard to
listen to another instruction at the same time.
3-4 years Children can shift their focus from one thing to another.
4-5 years Children can listen to an instruction and complete
another task at the same time.
It is usual for young children to be easily distracted. But it is
important to support a child’s attention and listening abilities,
because these skills are the foundation stones for all learning.
If a child can focus, they are more able to select the most important
bits of information that constantly bombards us every day and
ignore background noise. Good attention and listening helps
children to understand language.
If your child has difficulties with attention and
listening, you may see that they:
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Are very easily distracted e.g. by noise, objects or movement
Fail to follow instructions
Have difficulty focusing on a task
Find it difficult to take part in group situations
Strategies and Activities
Below are some general strategies and activities that are effective
in supporting children to develop attention and listening skills.
Strategies
 Call your child’s name to get their attention before you give an
instruction
 Follow your child’s lead—play alongside and comment on what
they are doing.
 Reduce background noise e.g. turn off the
television/radio/washing machine, especially when reading a
story or doing something you want your child to focus on.
 Reduce visual distractions around the room, e.g. start with only
having one or two toys out to play with. As your child gets
better at focusing their attention, gradually introduce a few
more toys.
 Get down to your child’s level so they can see your face when
you’re talking/playing with them.
 Use lively facial expressions! These will keep your child’s
attention on you.
 Encourage your child to watch and listen to you by using
specific language, e.g. “look at mummy”
 Reinforce good listening with praise e.g. “good listening!”
Activities
 Listening to sounds - encourage your child to listen to different
sounds in everyday life, e.g. telephone, animals, doorbell etc.
 Use a variety of musical instruments or things that make a
sound. Ask your child to close their eyes while you play one
musical instrument. Your child can then open their eyes and
choose which instrument you have just played.
 Using toy animals, put some animals in front of your child.
Make a noise for one of the animals and ask your child to
choose the correct animal.
 Play ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’- using a car or a ball, encourage
your child to listen and wait by saying ‘Ready, Steady…’ and
pausing before you say ‘Go!’ (make sure your child is looking
at you before releasing the ball or car and saying ‘Go!’). You
can also do this for:
- Jigsaws: wait for “go” before putting a piece in
- Building a tower: wait for “go” before putting a brick on/knocking
it down
- Books: wait for “go” before turning the page/lifting the flap.
 Take turns to build a tower with bricks, roll a ball or complete a
jigsaw. Encourage your child to wait for their turn and stay
focused on the activity.
 Singing familiar rhymes—leaving pauses at obvious places for
child to fill in by saying the word, a sound or by using a gesture.
For more information:
Speak to your health visitor or drop in at your local children’s centre.
If you have any questions about the information or strategies in this
information sheet, please contact the SALT team at:
Princess Royal Health Centre
Greenhead Road
Huddersfield
HD1 4EW
Broad Street Plaza
Halifax
West Yorkshire
HX1 1UB
Tel: 01484 344299
Tel: 01422 261340
Website: www.cht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapy-services
Please see our Children’s Therapy Services website and follow the
links to Speech and Language Therapy for information, leaflets,
advice and resources.