5 x Stories to Improve Focus and Listening Skills: 4 – 8 Year Olds

The Boy and the Wolf: If the children hear their character name they get up and walk around the circle then sit down. (For younger children they could collect a brick every time they walk around).

If the wolf is walking at the same time as others he can chase the characters back to their place.

Under the Sea: Whole class ‘Circle Sketch’ to enhance listening and concentration skills. All children are given a character – they sit in a long line of pairs. When hearing their character name they must walk all the way around to the front of the line and back to their place again.When the shark walks around he can chase the other characters around back to their places.

Characters: Boy, Mermaids, Dolphins, Sharks, Jellyfish, Octopus, Seaweed, Rocks

On the Aeroplane: Suggested characters:  Pilot x 1 or 2,  Air Hostess/Air Steward x 1 or 2,  mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, toddler, baby, teenager x 1 or 2,  the Queen of England, a pop star (choose famous person) doctor. Involve children in choosing characters. The children sit in a long row on the floor as though they are sitting on an aeroplane, one or two sat either side of an aisle. Pilots and Air stewards are at the front of the plane. All the children will be told the name of their character.

The Shopping Game: 

• Children stand in either a circle (facing inwards) or a line (facing the teacher)
• All children are given the name of a food on the shopping list. Coffee, tea, bread, cheese, egg, ham, butter, sausages, chips, tomato sauce, crisps, ice cream, chocolate etc!
• The teacher reads the story and when the name of the food is mentioned the child runs around the circle/or run to the other end of the hall.
• When the teacher says the word ‘shopping’ all the children must stand up and turn around.
• When the teacher says a chosen supermarket eg: Tesco the children must all change places.

An Important Guest at the Zoo: A fun Listening game/story for 4 – 7 year olds. Whole class game – any number of children. The children enjoy hearing the story and listen carefully and enjoy changing animal throughout the game.

• All children are split into 4 groups.

• A group of monkeys, lions, crocodiles and elephants.

• Each group must go to the four corners of the room and sit down.