Natigan Learns To Listen

Description

What is the difference between hearing someone and truly listening?

Natigan thinks he is a very good listener. After all, he can hear everything—the rooster crowing “Kokorokooo!”, cars passing outside, spoons falling in the kitchen and people calling from the street.

But when his mother, Ohemaa, gives him a simple instruction and a beautiful yellow butterfly captures his attention, Natigan soon discovers something important: hearing words is not the same as listening to them.

In Natigan Learns to Listen, the third book in The Natigan Series, young readers follow Natigan through a collection of warm, humorous and familiar experiences at home and around his community of Oyarifa. With the patient guidance of his mother Ohemaa, his father Osmosis and Nana Abena, Natigan begins to understand what it really means to listen.

He learns to pay attention when instructions are given, repeat important information so he can remember it, wait for others to finish speaking, and ask questions when he does not understand. A simple listening game teaches him to notice sounds around him. Nana Abena’s story about a little bird who talks too much shows him the consequences of interrupting. An experience with his friend Kojo helps him discover the importance of giving other people room to speak. And while crossing the road with his mother, Natigan learns that careful listening is not only respectful—it can also help keep us safe.

By the end of his journey, Natigan makes his biggest discovery yet: good listening involves the ears, the mind and the heart.

Ears hear.
The mind pays attention.
The heart cares enough to understand.

Written especially for children ages 3–5, Natigan Learns to Listen introduces the foundations of listening comprehension, attention, patience, turn-taking, respectful communication, following instructions and asking questions in a natural and child-friendly way.

The story is supported by engaging learning features, including Natigan Discovers, Words to Know, Think About It, Try It!, a Listening Game, Explore Ghana, Parent’s Corner, Teacher’s Corner, and Natigan’s Listening Rule. These activities help parents and educators move the lesson beyond the story and give children practical opportunities to practise listening in everyday life.

Rooted in Ghanaian family and community life while teaching skills relevant to children everywhere, this book combines storytelling, humour, discovery and early learning without losing the joy of childhood.

Natigan Learns to Listen reminds every young reader of a simple but powerful truth:

Good listeners do not just wait to talk.
They try to understand.

Book Three: Natigan Learns to Listen
Subtitle: A Story of Attention, Understanding and Respect
Series: The Natigan Series
Level One: Discovering Home
Target Age: 3–5