Are you looking for hacks to help students who do not listen to their peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Make sure that other students speak concisely when speaking to the learner.

2. Teach and have the learner practice listening for crucial information when they are being given instructions or receiving information (e.g., write down main points, ideas, step-by-step instructions, etc.).

3. Select a peer, paraprofessional, learner, etc., to signal the learner when they need to keep attention (e.g., the person can touch the learner on the arm when it is time to listen).

4. Draft an agreement with the learner. It should be written within their capacity and ability level and focus on only one behavior at a time. Indicate what behavior is required and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

5. Get other students to stand in front of the learner while speaking to them so the learner will be more likely to listen to what others are saying.

6. Give chances for the learner to talk to others on a one-to-one basis. As the learner becomes more successful at listening and keeping attention, slowly include more people in conversations.

7. Minimize the emphasis on competition in the classroom. Competition may cause the learner to become excited or distracted and fail to listen to what other students are saying.

8. Get the learner to silently rehearse information just heard from other students to enable remembering essential information.

9. Train the learner to ask for clarification if they do not understand information presented orally.

10. Train the learner to ask people to repeat portions of a conversation they were unable to follow.

11. Let logical consequences happen (e.g., miss information, miss a school learning experience , etc.) due to the learner failing to listen to others.

12. Train the learner’s peers to preface statements with the learner’s name to gain their attention before speaking.

13. Make sure that competing sounds (e.g., talking, noises, motion in the classroom, etc.) are silenced when other students are talking, enabling the learner’s capacity and ability to listen to what others are saying.

14. Urge the learner to say a mantra to themselves when entering a situation where they will receive instructions (e.g., listen carefully, listen carefully, listen carefully).

15. Get the learner to repeat or rephrase what other students have said to them to ascertain what the learner heard.

16. Select various people (e.g., peers, paraprofessionals, counselors, etc.) to help the learner keep attention to conversations.

17. Maintain group settings that are quiet, well lighted, and at a comfortable temperature.

18. Converse with the learner before starting a learning experience and remind them of the importance of listening to others.

19. Get the learner to practice listening to what other students are saying (e.g., following simple instructions, sharing information, etc.).

20. Minimize the number of visual distractions in the classroom when listening is required (e.g., move the learner’s work area away from windows, doors, etc.).

21. Read this article that we wrote on developing listening comprehension skills.

22. Read this article that we wrote explaining why verbal comprehension skills are important to academic success.

23. Read this article that we wrote on what you should do when your child struggles with verbal comprehension.