10 Tips for Practicing Dictation with Kids
By Dr. Rick Bavaria
There’s a time-honored activity – some would call it a game – that lets parents quickly assess how well their children are mastering language arts skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening. The rules are simple; just dictate a few sentences, and ask your child to write it down word-for-word. This can be done with paper and pencil or with a keyboard. (Their skill level is what matters, not the medium.) After they’ve finished, go over their work with them and make any corrections.
Practicing dictation in this way can help parents understand how their child is progressing. Additionally, here’s what dictation can do to help your kids:
Enhance listening skills.
Tell them you’re going to say a sentence. (They’re just to listen.) Then they pick up their pencils. You say the sentence again, slowly, clearly, as they write it down. Then you say it again as they look at what they wrote. Then move on to the next sentence.
Enhance focus and concentration.
When they know you’re going to say the sentence only three times, they know they’d better pay attention. Focus.
Allow time for settling down and sitting still.
A couple sentences of dictation allows them to settle down, sit still and be ready to learn, to do homework or study.
Allow for doing one thing at a time, without distraction.
They can’t be distracted when they’re concentrating on listening, writing and proofreading. Again, focus.
Improve note-taking skills.
As they get older, note-taking becomes increasingly important, whether they’re using pen and paper or a keyboard. Listening carefully and strategically is key.