By: David Gordon
Put
together a summer listening program for your child. Listening is an
engaging way to learn, so your child, may love listening to books and
other written documents. Have them listen to music, stage plays, comedy
routines, and other works. Point out background sounds such as the way
the peppy tune on a sound track adds fun and humor to an adventure tale.
Learning to listen is particularly helpful to children with learning
disabilities.
An LD OnLine Exclusive!
Summer reading is as much a seasonal pastime as baseball and
fireworks. Many parents put together a selection of books that are
meaningful, educational, and engaging—books to nourish and stimulate
young minds during these few freewheeling months.
Parents should consider assembling a summer
listening list,
too. When we think of literacy, we tend to think first of reading and
writing. That's because for centuries, printed text has been the
dominant means of recording and sharing information. Yet for most
children, listening is really the first entry point into language—the
cornerstone of learning and of cognitive development. In an age when
kids are regular users of personal multimedia technologies, the
importance of
learning to listen and
listening to learn is as great as ever.
The importance of learning to listen
Listening is an engaging way to learn, a primary approach to
developing or strengthening reading strategies, and, in some cases, a
necessary means to access information and knowledge. Listening media,
such as audio books and text-to-speech, can be especially helpful to
children with learning disabilities, such as those with dyslexia and
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , who struggle with
print-based learning, and
central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), who may struggle to listen.
For such students well-chosen listening experiences can open up new
vistas of learning, providing access to information and ideas previously
'hidden' in books and supporting the reading process itself. Such
opportunities provide a powerful supplement or alternative to a reading
program focused around printed text.
Research has shown that combining reading and listening through the
use of audio books or text-to-speech programs improves the literacy
skills of struggling readers, including those with learning
disabilities. Reading comprehension, listening comprehension,
phonological awareness and blending, and naming skills have shown to be
improved with a combined reading-listening program. Listening while
reading helps children learn the patterns of language, the obvious
'code' of letters and words on the page as well as less obvious codes,
such as tone, nuance, and implied meaning. Brain imaging technologies
show that when we listen, different parts of the brain are engaged than
when we read—or even when we merely
hear something. Listening
can provide whole levels of information that are essential to
determining the value and validity of a source. Teaching children to
listen to tone of voice not only helps them develop reading skills but
can help in the development of their social and conversational skills,
too. (For more information, see
Plato Revisited: Learning Through Listening in the Digital World by David Rose& Bridget Dalton, published by RFB&D.)
In addition to skill-building, children with learning disabilities
may also find it easier to listen to books—more understanding is
conveyed through voice than through words on the page. For example, in
an article for LD Online,
Ben Buchanan, a child with dyslexia, describes why he likes audio books
so much: "When I listen to a book on tape, it is easier to understand
jokes or puns, and other forms of humor in the book because I am not
distracted by other words or things on the page (like a picture or other
writing or a food stain). It is easier to understand more parts of the
book when it is a book on tape because of the way the person says the
words—they provide clues to the mood of the characters."
For children with Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD) ,
structured listening experiences can support efforts to improve
listening skills, especially when flexible media such as digital text or
recorded text are used. C APD interferes with a hearing child's ability
to make sense of information taken in through the ears. Children with
CAPD may struggle to listen in noisy places, make sense of what they
hear, sustain their attention on long spoken passages, and process
nonverbal auditory stimuli, such as music. Children with CAPD may
benefit from multi-sensory approaches, including listening while
information is presented visually.
Assembling a summer listening program
In assembling a summer listening program, consider trying a variety
of listening experiences. Read works that are written to be read—fiction
and nonfiction prose—as well as works that are intended to be
spoken—such as speeches, stage plays, musical theater, radio plays, and
comedy routines. Point out the differences in each style, the rat-a-tat
dialogue of a comedy routine or the long loping phrases of a novel.
Listen to readings that are enhanced by music and sounds. Note the way
that keys rattling and wind howling make a ghost story even creepier.
Point out how the peppy tune on a soundtrack adds fun and humor to an
adventure tale. (Of course, any summer listening program will want to
include music all by itself—a little Beethoven, Beach Boys, or Beck to
liven the program.)
Different media formats have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Try them all. The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
suggests
setting aside a little time every day to read to your children. For
younger children, NCLD recommends that parents 'practice letter-sound
correspondence, do lots of rhyming and clapping out syllables, and
explore the relationship between oral language and print.'
Audio books are also an option that may have some advantages compared
to one-on-one reading. For example, the use of audio books, especially
with a headset, may help certain children concentrate more on their
listening. They also have the option of slowing down or replaying
certain passages, stop and reflect, and skip around within the 'text.'
This gives the child control of her listening and allows her to adjust
it to her particular learning needs and preferences. The child may be
too embarrassed to ask for such help or may simply not think of it when
listening to a parent or teacher. Children who may struggle to follow
long spoken passages, remember key details, or process verbal and
nonverbal information, including music, will benefit from having the
opportunity to control how they listen.
Audio books in specialized formats are widely available to those with
qualified print disabilities through organizations such as RFB&D
and Bookshare; commercial audio books are available through public
libraries and book retailers.
Another option is to use a computer to read aloud digital text in a
synthetic voice. The best Text to Speech (TTS) tools can read digital
content 'on the fly,' vastly expanding a child's options for reading.'
Options include digital books, Web pages, email, and Word documents,
including the child's own writing. Like audio books, digital text with
TTS gives children control of their listening. They can adjust speed,
voice qualities, and other factors to find what's right for them. More
importantly, when digital text and sound are blended, additional support
features can be added to enhance the learning experience. Digital texts
can highlight words on the screen as they are read aloud, making it
easier to follow the text and to link particular sounds with the words
on the screen. Also, headphones can be used to minimize outside
distraction and enhance concentration—a helpful feature for children
with CAPD, ADHD, and other learning disabilities.
The drawback to using digital text with TTS is that TTS is still a
poor model of oral language. No computer will read text with the same
feeling and vibrancy that a human does. Words may be produced in a
stream, with frequent mispronunciations and awkward phrasing. Still, TTS
can be effective and liberating for many struggling readers and
listeners. Give it a try.
Finally, don't forget the chirping of crickets … and the roar of
motorcycles … and the splish-splash of children playing in the water.
Point out the sounds of summer to your children. Raise their awareness
of just how important active listening is. Listening is not simply an
alternative—a lesser companion—to reading. It's a critical literacy all
its own.
For more information about Learning Through Listening, including research, lessons, and ideas, visit
www.learningthroughlistening.org.
About the author
David Gordon is director of publishing and communications at CAST, a
nonprofit organization that pioneers inclusive educational solutions
based on Universal Design for Learning.
Gordon, D., (2007). Crickets, Books, and Bach: Develop a Summer Listening Program. Exclusive to LD OnLine.
The calendar reads July. It’s 100 degrees outside and your ears are
still ringing from 4th of July fireworks so, of course, it’s time to
think about “back to school”. I’m sure if you check your email box and
your Sunday circulars, you already have seen the sales. I’m never one
to pass up a bargain so one of the first things you may consider buying
that all important backpack.
