Teach your child to turn off noises, such as the television and radio. Clear away visual distractions, such as a book or game. Each distraction should be completely removed. The television should be shut off and not just muted. Video games should be put away away and not just paused. Teach your child to remove any mental distractions. Allow your child to completely finish a task before talking to him. For example, let him finish a paragraph or reach a spot in a video game before he closes the book or shuts off the game..
Require the child to face whomever is talking to him. Instruct the child to turn his chair or his body and to move closer to the person if necessary. Additionally, teach the child about open body posture. Arms must not be crossed and should be in the lap. Teach the child to sit up straight, which shows interest in the speaker and what she is saying.
Appropriate eye contact is more important than almost any other physical component of listening. If the child is facing you with an open posture and sitting straight but looking elsewhere, he isn't actively listening. Conversely, the child can have a closed body posture and face slightly away from the speaker, but if he's making eye contact he's most likely listening actively. Teach the child to make eye contact for a few seconds at a time. Teach him to occasionally look at other parts of the face, such as the lips.
Require the child to respond with a question, summation or confirmation. A question clarifies something the speaker said. For example, the child might ask the animal's name when you're explaining how to pet the neighbor's dog. The child summarizes what you said by repeating back the main parts of the conversation. For example, the child could say you want him to clean his room without mentioning details, such as vacuuming. A confirmation combines question and summation. For example, the child might ask if you want the trash in the green bin and the recycling in the blue bin to ensure he understands the details.