President's Day and Preschool Listening and Spoken Language Fun

Introduce your child to the Presidents in a way that sparks their curiosity. 

Talk about the coins in your pocket. 

Sort the money in piles by size, color, President’s faces and if they are clean or dirty. Separate the dirty pennies and use vinegar and salt to clean and polish them. 

Talk about what is different/same about the pennies. Make it easy for your child to start a conversation and go back and forth a few times.

Finally, have your child count the pennies and add them to their piggy bank.

Snowman, What’s Missing?

We stand up snowmen on paper cups and play a fun game -

What’s Missing?

 I begin by the parent and the child playing together. We auditory modeling the possible answers then the child is asked to observe and reply. This activity targets;

- What questions

- pronouns

- is/are

- regular and irregular plurals

- relative clauses 

- /s/ /z/ and more!

Snowman, What’s Missing? is much more than a perception task.

Snow Listening Bins

One of my favorite winter activities is snow listening bins. Sometimes I bring snow inside and we play and talk about the characteristics of snow (cold, white, freezing, melting…) but this is a short-lived LSL activity. I model this as a fun home activity. So in our LSL sessions, I fill a bin with white styrofoam packing peanuts and include a mini snow shovel. I hide well-chosen winter based vocabulary objects such as a snowman, little mittens, a sled, a polar bear, an ice skater and so in. The objects coordinate with the vocabulary goals and often associate with a storybook.

The parent/caregiver and I take turns cueing the child to listen. Then using AUDITION FIRST we either make a related L2L sound, talk about the object or for a little older listener describing the hidden object. The child hears the sound/words before seeing the toy which provides ear contact before eye contact. Next, we sing a short repetitive song about shoveling the snow and the child begins to dig and uncovers the toy. The connection is made between what was described and the object. Depending on the goals we may then use the toys and recreate pulling a  sled up a hill and sliding down, ice skating and more.

Following Winter Themed Directions Game - Freebie

This game is from my colleague at GoldCountrySLP and can be adapted well for auditory based therapy. Grab your printable HERE.

Children's Literature for Auditory Development - Brown Bears and Polar Bears

Children, Children What Do You Hear?  is a classic Auditory Verbal article by Nancy Caleffe-Schenck, M.Ed., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT 

Click HERE to read an updated version of this article on the Listen Foundation website entitled: How Do Parents and Practitioners Use Children Literature for Auditory Development?

Photo http://www.mudhutmama.com 

There is much to be said about the satisfaction of a parent and child reading, talking, and looking at a beautifully illustrated and well-written book for children. Children’s literature is one of the most powerful tools to enrich a child’s auditory development while integrating listening with talking, thinking, and communicating.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Martin & Carle, 1968/1983) is a popular book found in many homes and in therapy sessions around the world. The text of the book is repetitive, with the same question and answer combination being reiterated throughout the book: “What do you see?” “I see a [color + animal] looking at me.”

This book may be adapted for use with children at different stages of auditory development. For younger children, the parent or listening and spoken language professional will use toy props representing the animals in the book. These props assist in maintaining the child’sinterest and promote the integration of audition, speech, language, and cognition. For example, a large stuffed yellow duck is related to a real duck, a realistic plastic duck, pictures, and stories about ducks. For an older preschooler, a cork can be used to represent the duck. The ultimate goal is that the phrase “yellow duck,” which is learned through listening, represents to the child a wide array of impressions ranging from something the child sees on a pond to something the child later discusses in a conversation with a peer or adult.

Following the principles of auditory-verbal practice, the listening and spoken language professional will use diagnostic teaching, a process of individualized interactions used to assess a child’s present levels of functioning in audition, speech, language, communication, and cognition to establish appropriate long-term goals and session targets. Parents incorporate these goals into their child’s daily life. The sequence of presenting auditory information while reading a book might be as follows:

• The child listens while the adult reads the text.

• The child imitates or comments on what was read.

• Props or pictures reinforce the text.

• Parents expand their child’s language by commenting on the story and related books or experiences.

• The child later takes the lead and spontaneously uses the spoken language prompted by the book.

Pollack, Goldberg, and Caleffe-Schenck (1997) present a hierarchy of auditory development that has been used successfully in auditory-verbal therapy and education. To assist teachers, therapists, and parents in program planning and diagnostic teaching, listening and spoken language professionals use Brown Bear, Brown Bear as an example for explaining specific auditory expectations using a storybook. The name “Sam” is used rather than the generic term “child.”

The following subsections provide a sample of the hierarchy based on the various stages of auditory development.

Auditory Awareness (Sam indicates presence or absence of sounds) 
Dad makes the barking sound of a dog while holding a stuffed dog under the table. Sam indicates that he hears something. Dad shows him the toy dog and hands it to Sam to explore and attach meaning to the sound. The toy is associated with the picture of the white dog in the book.

Distance Hearing and Localization (Sam hears at increasing distances and turns to the source of the sound) 
While walking in the park, Dad hears a dog barking a few feet away. He calls attention to this barking and shows Sam the dog frolicking in the field. (Distance hearing and localization are incorporated into each level of auditory learning once close-range hearing has been demonstrated.)

Auditory Discrimination (Sam judges whether sounds are the same or different) 
Mom reads, “Red bird, red bird, what do you see?” and whistles like a bird. Sam indicates by pointing to the red bird that he hears, discriminates, and remembers the differences in the whistle and the words “red bird” versus “quack, quack” and “yellow duck.”

Auditory Self-Monitoring (Sam modifies speech to match what was heard) 
Sam demonstrates the beginning stages of auditory self-monitoring when he imitates the sounds for the animals in the book. His imitation of “ruff ruff” for the dog is different from “meow” for the cat (low pitch, short, abrupt duration vs. high pitch, long, long duration). An example of a higher level of auditory self-monitoring is when Sam substitutes /g/ for /d/ when imitating the word dog. Mom acoustically highlights /d/ or uses auditory stress by babbling /da da dog/. Sam changes his speech production from /gog/ to /dog/.

Auditory Identification (Sam labels what he heard) 
The props or pictures used for the book are placed in front of Sam. Now it is time to put them away. Mom tells Sam, “Give me the frog.” Sam picks up the frog. Then the roles are reversed, and Sam asks for the goldfish. A more advanced auditory level would be identifying “frog” versus “dog” because they are similar-sounding words.

Auditory Memory (Sam remembers what he heard)

If Sam has an auditory memory for three items, he hears, listens, and remembers what he heard and picks up the “fish, sheep, and horse” from the toy props. He may be remembering and saying the repetitive phrase, “I see a ___” and beginning to transfer this phrase to real life by imitating or spontaneously saying to his brother, “I see a cat,” as the neighbor’s cat sleeps in the sun.

Auditory Sequencing (Sam remembers in correct order what he heard) 
Instead of Sam picking up the toy props in random order, he hands them to his Mom in the order in which she said them. He may verify or change the order in which he heard the animals by naming the animals as he picks them up. Another demonstration of sequential memory is when he recites the book from memory. Perhaps he is ready to listen to, understand, and act out a scenario such as, “Put the green frog on the rock and the goldfish in the water.”

Auditory Processing (Sam thinks about what was heard and makes a cognitive judgment) 
At this level, just imitation, identification, or memory of what Sam heard will not be adequate for him to understand and complete the activity. He must draw upon his pastexperiences and knowledge of the world and use his spoken language to be an active communicator. A description game might be played, such as “I want something with f ins that swims.” Sam chooses the fish rather than the frog.

The concepts and language structures that Sam learns through active listening evolve from simple to complex over time. The listening and spoken language professional and the parents are wise to incorporate an abundance of previously learned language targets, such as plurals, verb tenses, pronouns, conjunctions, component parts, and adjectives. More complex processing and strategies are required to understand questions such as, “What does a brown bear do when winter arrives?” Auditory closure and categorization activities encourage auditory processing. The parents and the practitioner may present incomplete statements such as, “Dogs, cats, and goldfish are pet animals. Bears, deer, and moose are wild animals.” Other auditory closure tasks involve using component parts of animals, such as “A dog is covered withfur. A fish is covered with scales. A bird is covered with feathers.” The possibilities for Sam to develop and practice auditory processing are limitless.

Auditory Understanding (Sam comprehends auditory information in a variety of settings with many different people)
Dad and Sam are taking a walk when they notice a white dog running down the road. It reminds them of the white dog in Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and they discuss where the dog might be going in such a hurry. They make up their own story about the white dog. It might be a continuous story where each person tags onto what the previous person said. At home, Sam and his parents read a variety of books about dogs and compare and contrast these stories and characters.

The activities and ideas presented in the above subsections are just examples of how listening and spoken language skill levels can be developed and enhanced through use of an interesting children’s book.

Conclusion

The listening and spoken language professional’s successful use of children’s literature as the basis of auditory development depends upon the following factors:

• Adhering to developmentally appropriate stages of auditory development to provide for and enrich successful auditory experiences for a child

• Incorporating several auditory levels within the same activity

• Integrating audition, speech, cognition, and communication at all levels

• Using books and other literary materials in creative and satisfying experiences that are motivating to a child and to the parents

• Empowering a child’s parents to incorporate meaningful auditory interactions throughout the day

References

Martin, B., & Carle, E. (1983). Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? New York, NY: Henry Holt and 
Company. [First published in 1968]

Pollack, D., Goldberg, D. M., & Caleffe-Schenck, N. (1997).  Educational audiology for the limited-hearing infant and preschooler: An auditory-verbal program (3rd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, Publisher.

Listen and Learn with Snowman Slam

Snowman Slam is a winter game for following auditory directions. It is available for $2.00 to download and print from Pam Dahm, a Speech Language pathologist. Click Here to grab a copy of the game.

Snowman Slam can be used to target a wide variety of listening and spoken language goals including:

- Following auditory instructions 

- Auditory processing skills

- Language skills use of descriptors, colors, winter vocabulary, auxiliary verbs, plurals

- Early literacy: instruction cards include colors and pictures, making it easy for even pre-readers

- Social skills: turn-taking, winning and losing

This game is a fast-paced race of listening and matching fun! Players race to slap a card that matches both the item described on an instruction card and a piece on their personal game board. The first person to collect six snowman pieces is the winner!

New Year's Resolutions for Auditory Verbal Families

Ring in the New Year with a Resolution and a Game

(updated from a 2012 post)

FunnyNewYearQuotes.com

"I will plan ahead, be creative, 

spend intentional time talking with my child,

 following his interests,  have fun together all while 

expanding his listening, learning, vocabulary, spoken language 

and conversational skills."

Did you know?

For further information contact Dave Sindrey LSLS CertAVT 

______________________________________

Children with normal hearing passively absorb information or "overhear" from the environment and constantly pick up details of information. This is referred to as incidental learning. As much as 90% percent of what a child with typical hearing learns is from overhearing conversations. 

Your child with a hearing loss does not as easily "eavesdrop" and may miss significant information that is not directed at him. As you know, even hearing aids and/or cochlear implants do not restore normal hearing. Children who have a hearing loss need to be taught directly many of the skills, concepts, and vocabulary that other children learn incidentally. 

The topic and vocabulary associated with the New Year is a prime example as we usually talk about the New Year once a year which does not result in much repetition for listening, auditory comprehension and processing. In addition, the vocabulary is very specific to the celebration.
______________________________________

Ring In The New Year With 
A Game and Begin Keeping Your Resolution

www.claimfame.com

Play this FREE NEW YEARS GAME which will provide a fun way to expand new listening and spoken language skills while spending time together as a family. The game creator also included a recipe to make with your child for your New Year celebration. Check out all her ideas at www.speechsnacks.com

Players start at “Baby New Year” and end at “Father Time.” 

 The first set of game cards address New Year vocabulary

and can be used to put words in sentences, give the definition or provide a synonym.

 Talk about how your family celebrates, last year's memories and

 throw confetti and stay up until midnight.

These cards contain WH questions and fill-in- the-blanks related to New Year Resolutions. 

Cheers to A New Years. May 2015 be your better than ever!

Listening, Learning and Spoken Language with New Events, Activities or Holidays

This blog post was adapted from the http://www.medel.com article entitled,

Helping Your Child Enjoy New Events with Their Cochlear Implant 

by Donna  Sperandio, Head of Rehabilitation at MED-EL

You can be read the original article HERE 

For any child a new activity or event is an experience, and especially for a child with hearing aids or cochlear implants each new event means new sounds and experiences that may seem overwhelming. But don’t worry, there are a few ways that you can help to make their listening experience, and the whole event, comfortable and enjoyable.

The Key Word: Preparation

Involving your child in preparing for the event in an age-appropriate way is the best method to make everything enjoyable.

First, just introduce them to the general idea of what the event is about. This way they can develop an overall understanding of what to expect.

How should you do this? An easy way would be to explain the big steps that might occur by just talking about them in order. Or, you could get a bit more creative. If you have pictures from similar events, or if it’s a recurring event maybe from the last time it happened, then you can show these to your child to give them an idea of what they might see or be around. Younger children might enjoy acting out the activity with toys or dolls, and this can be especially useful in structured events like a wedding where there’s a clearly defined routine to the whole event.

Then, you can get more into the details. What are specific activities that happen at this event? Will someone be standing up to give a speech, and if this happens how should your child behave? If there will be songs or music, maybe your child would enjoy hearing them in advance so that he or she can better enjoy them during the actual event.

Here are some basic questions that you can think about what to tell your child:

1. Why is this event happening?

1. What will happen at the event?

1. Who will be at the event?

1. Will there be any surprises, like unexpected events or noises, for which he or she can prepare?

1. How should your child behave? Is it formal or informal?

• Will there be speakers, and where will the speakers be located? (This is important because it might influence where your child should sit or stand to hear best.)

• Will there be induction loop or FM systems? (If yes, then your child could connect wirelessly to the systems for better hearing.)

During the Event: Enjoy

Depending on your child, you may want to either stay close or give them lots of space. Make sure to talk with them in advance and, if they’re old enough, make a choice that both of you can agree upon. Remember, the goal is to make it enjoyable for them as well as for you. If your child likes to be independent, that’s great! Encourage his or her independence, but also let them know that you’ll always be nearby if needed.

If your child uses any assistive listening devices make sure to grab them before leaving, and don’t forget any other accessories or extra batteries just in case. Again, it’s better to be prepared.

Talking with the event organizers can also help, whether it’s just informing them that your child will be present with his or her cochlear implant or asking about any assistive listening devices they have.

Example questions could be like:

Afterwards: Relax

If you want to reflect afterwards, you could ask your child if they have any questions about what had happened at the event or just ask them how they felt. If you took any photos at the event you could also look through them now.

Winter Pinterest Board for Auditory Verbal Therapy

Click Here for listening and spoken language ideas

 for home or in parent centered therapy.

232 PINS!

H O L I D A Y S - Listening and Spoken Language Tips

H O L I D A Y S - Listening and Spoken Language Tips
 for Families of Children That Are deaf/Hard of Hearing

Source

Holidays are about listening to joyous music, lively conversations and spending time with family and friends.  Encourage your child to be the Holiday Host and greet visitors and take their coats. This will boost your child’s confidence while giving him a chance to talk face to face in a quiet setting.  Role-play upcoming holiday situations and practice good listening strategies. Create a secret a signal so your child can notify you when he is having a difficult time hearing. Keep the holiday music off or at a low volume, as your child is likely not the only one bothered by clatter and background music.

Organize an email and send it your family and friends before you gather for the holidays. Write a quick update about your child’s listening and spoken language progress and his hearing technology. Dealing with this before the holidays will allow you to spend time celebrating rather than answering questions of well meaning friends and family.

Large family dinners are noisy so plan accordingly.  One suggestion is ensuring your child knows the topic of the conversation. Consider using “conversation starter cards” around the table which are always fun. Also, have someone special seated next to your child who can repeat a joke or summarize a story if your child mishears.

Include your child in the holiday preparations and focus on vocabulary that is often specific to the season. What is mistletoe? A menorah? The Nutcracker? A manger? Spend time reading holiday stories, cooking traditional foods and learning the words to holiday songs.  You child can create decorations to hang around your home and tell guests about them when they visit.

Devices. Keep your child’s FM charged and ready to use. Role-play so your child is comfortable asking others to wear the FM and can explain how it helps him hear.  At the dining table place the FM mic in the middle or concealed in the centerpiece. If you attend a holiday performance or a faith-based service,contact the venue to request extra amplification such as a microphone, a hearing loop and captions. Another important device is your camera. Take photos to include in your child’s Listening and Spoken Language Experience Book.

Arrange seating with your child’s hearing in mind. Encourage your child to choose a good seat for hearing at dinner and for the gift exchange. Is there a seat away from the bustling kitchen, or the room when the teenagers are playing video games? When opening gifts, suggest sitting in a circle so your child can both listen and watch.

Your traditions are an important way to expand your child’s listening and spoken language skills. If gift giving is your tradition, choose presents that will provide hours of creative play and stimulate conversation. Most of your child’s memories will be about people, not presents.

Simplify. Ask your child what traditions he feels are most important. You may be surprised by his reply. Consider skipping old traditions that have lost appeal or that your family has outgrown. Time spent together rather than on activities will be most remembered. Keep a Joy Journal to jot down moments of triumphs, laughter, inspiration and the “hearing” miracles you enjoy over the holidays.

Lynn's article was posted at: http://speechroomnews.blogspot.com/2013/11/holidays-listening-spoken-language-tips.html