It's likely that some time in your life, you have heard or even used the phrase, 'You never listen, do you?' Such phrases are commonplace and so reflect the importance that we place on listening.
Listening is an integral part of communication and a key way in which children are expected to absorb information. So, given its importance, it is worth thinking about how young children learn to listen.
Tuning in As with most areas of child development, we need to go right back to children's first months to see how listening as a skill takes shape.
A good starting point is to recognise that listening is a survival skill.
We are born with an innate ability to find out about and be aware of our immediate environment. Babies show us this when, even as newborns, they react to sudden sounds and quickly turn their head towards the sources of a sound. This instinct is probably an early survival mechanism, allowing us humans to be aware of dangers.
This means that the first few months of a baby's life are spent learning to differentiate between sounds. Amazingly, in the forest of sounds in the environment, babies quickly show us that they can tune into sounds by recognising their main carer's voice. By the age of nine months they understand quite a lot of what we say.
Relevance While babies learn to differentiate between sounds, toddlers and young children increasingly work out how to crack the language code and use it themselves.
It is worth remembering that the first words that are understood and then used by toddlers are those that have some meaning for them. In order for us to listen for any length of time, it is important that the words have some meaning. This is why, when listening to an unfamiliar language, most people quickly 'turn off'. The same principle applies to children. It is one reason why young children get bored when hearing adults talking among themselves for five minutes, but will be happily captivated for 15 minutes by a storyteller.
Memory While young children are able to listen quite early on, it is important to recognise that this does not necessarily mean that they will be able to remember the information they have been given. This accounts for the way in which a child may appear to 'forget' what they have been asked to do, even though at the time it seemed as if they were listening.
One explanation for this discrepancy is that young children's information processing skills are still developing, and details given in the form of spoken words are hard for them to process and thus retain. It would seem that children are far better at processing information when it is presented visually or in multi-sensory ways.
This goes some way to explaining why activities that have a visual or sensory component are more easily remembered than those where talk has been the main medium of learning. Storytime with large books and props is therefore likely to be more of a hit than simply reading from a book which not all the children in the group can see.
In terms of child development, the ability to process and recall words effectively appears to be there at around six or seven years old, although of course this can only be taken as a guide. The key to the speed at which children are able to process and recall words is mainly linked to their overall language development. Interestingly, those children in schools that have difficulty in 'sitting and listening' are often those who have some form of language delay.
Helping children to listen
* Combine the spoken word with a visual component. Remember that children's information processing skills are still developing. Show children what you want them to do, and use puppets, props and even photographs to make your spoken words come alive.
* Think about the relevance - children, like adults, find it easier to listen if the words are relevant to them. The more an activity or conversation is meaningful, the easier it is for children to listen.
* Keep group sizes small for story and circle time. Children will naturally want to contribute if they are interested in what is going on. Small groups allow children to think their thoughts aloud.
* Adapt your language activities. Not all children's language skills develop at the same time. A 'one size fits all' approach to storytime, and other activities where children are expected to listen, is likely to be problematic for some children.
* Be a good listener yourself. Think about the balance of listening effort where you work. Who has to do the most listening - the children or the adults?
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Temporary hearing loss affects many children, especially in the winter colds and flu season, and is not always detected. Long periods of hearing loss can cause language delay, so it is essential to recognise when a child is not fully hearing. Look out for some of the following signs, and if you have concerns, consider talking to parents about the child's hearing at home:
* Does the child fail to respond immediately to his or her name or a loud sound?
* Is their speech muffled or unclear?
* Does the child appear to be in a world of his or her own?
* Does the child stare at other people's faces intently when they are being spoken to?
* Does the child at times seem to be unsure what is happening, or are they easily startled?
* Is the child prone to runny colds?
* Does the child show aggressive or frustrated behaviour?
STUDENT LINKS
This article links to unit C11 of the NVQ 3 in Early Years Childcare and Education.
Evidence collector Students may wish to carry out the following activity.
Remember to consult with your supervisor and/or the parents if necessary.
Activity Hunt for Teddy is a simple game that will help a group of four or five children listen to sounds. Using a pop-up tent or makeshift screen, ask one child to hide out of sight of the others. Ask another child to hide Teddy. Once teddy has been hidden, the previously hidden child is asked to find him. The other children give clues by making loud or soft sounds depending on whether the child is getting closer or not. Repeat the game so that each child has a turn to hunt for Teddy.
