Sounds good

Babies and toddlers don't need to be stimulated into awareness of different sounds, just left to hear them naturally, says Jennie Lindon

Research into early brain development tells us that babies' brains are well able to learn from sound as well as sight. In fact, the areas of the brain relating to sound and sight are already working before birth. But, of course, the task for babies and very young children is to make sense of all the sounds.

To help babies and young children develop an awareness of sound, helpful adults need to create a positive learning environment in which very young children can distinguish and track sounds and experiment with sound-making. They should ensure there is enough of interest in the environment, while avoiding auditory overload, and view their own role as an important item of play equipment.

Babies and young children do not need to be 'stimulated' into awareness of sounds. Nor do the under-threes necessarily benefit from bought toys or activity centres, often made of hard plastic and in jarring primary colours.

Manufacturers regularly claim that their products have 'educational' functions that will enable young children to learn to discriminate sounds, colours and shape. Some products even come with claims that they will teach young children about letters and numbers - which professional childcareres know to be developmentally inaccurate.

Young children need play resources that allow them to explore one feature at a time, and in detail. For sound, that means items that can be picked up, shaken, pressed and worked in a simple cause-and-effect way.

We need to home in on the perspective of babies and very young children and what intrigues them about sound and sound making:

• Where are these sounds coming from? Babies start to use their physical skills to look, turn their head and then their body towards the direction of a sound or sequence of sounds. So babies and very young children need an environment where they can use vision and hearing to track sounds. They need people and play materials close enough to make those links.
• Who is making the sounds? Babies are interested in adults, or older children, who join them in sound-making and those important early conversations. Under-threes need an environment that is peaceful enough that they can hear, reply and not be distracted by high noise levels. They need times and spaces that are quiet enough that they can distinguish one sound from another and hear the difference between quiet and a bit louder.
• What is making the sound? Babies and toddlers are intrigued to explore simple sound-making with ordinary items as well as play resources. They like a range of sound makers - some that are loud, others soft and some that make almost no noise at all. Activity boards or wall displays can be an enjoyable way of exploring what knob or what level makes which sound.
• Am I making that sound? How did I make it? Can I make it again? Young children learn from playful exchanges with adults and older children. Babies and toddlers can experiment with their own sounds and experience being heard and having a response in sound-making, words and singing.
• Does the sound mean something? Daily routines as well as special events often have associated sounds, so young children start to understand what comes next. You may use a particular style of quiet music to communicate that now is a time for rest or sleep. Perhaps a special tray with rice or a box with musical instruments makes a rattling sound as it is brought out of the cupboard. Young children get excited because they now recognise the meaning of this sound.

Linked Nursery World features

• 'Listen here' by Jennie Lindon, Kevin Kelman and Alice Sharp (2 May 2002)