Tara, i often use music to get the kids to attend and listen. i have one of those fisher price xylophones and i play a pattern on that and that is their signal to stop and listen to directions. i use this at transition times. you could use the real xylophones or a set tune on the piano or rhythm pattern on a drum or tambourine

perhaps you could even incorporate something that you're teaching or have taught in the past to continually reinforce. like maybe a sung "soh-la-me" or a "me-doh" out of musical context means "Eyes up here" or "listen up"... this you would probably need to teach first to show what it will mean.

I often change my voice tone and volume. if they're loud, i often move my voice to a whisper and they're forced to listen. i never yell, it's counter productive.

also, the old, "i'll wait. . . " works too! Chat Icon