Children and Young Person’s Audiology
Listening is more difficult in noisy places. Think of how difficult it is to hear in a noisy environment, such as in a noisy pub or a party. We have to concentrate more to listen to what is said when there is a lot of background noise. In a quiet place we use far less concentration to listen
Why do some children have poor listening skills?
Children who have a history of fluctuating and, or temporary hearing losses, for example, from ‘glue ear’, will have to concentrate harder to listen. Sometimes these children may become tired of concentrating and ‘switch off’. If they have had hearing problems for a while, they may ‘switch off’ more frequently and get less used to concentrating to hear. Over time this can become a habit resulting in poor listening skills, even if the hearing has returned to normal.
Some children with temporary hearing losses use hearing aids. However, if their hearing improves, and they continue to wear hearing aids, they may get used to sounds being louder and pay less attention when listening. Following an audiology assessment, the child may be advised to stop using the hearing aids and they may then find their listening skills are not as good, as the hearing aids have made it too easy to listen.
Other children have poor listening skills for various other reasons, such as having a short attention span, or even just due to lack of exposure to background noise. Children are constantly developing their listening skills throughout childhood and if they are not frequently exposed to situations that require them to make use of these skills, then they have less of a chance to practice or further expand these skills.
How can I help improve my child’s listening skills?
There are several activities and games you can use at home to help improve listening skills. Some games or activities are more suitable for certain age groups, or for children with different interests. Have a look through and see what you think your child would like best.
What else can I do?
If your child is at nursery or school, let the nursery nurses and teachers know if they have poor listening skills or you are keen to maintain their good listening skills, as they may have some activities they can do at nursery or school in addition to what you do at home. However, if you are concerned that the poor listening abilities are part of a wider issue with processing, particularly if you have tried the recommended activities and see no improvement, it may be worth speaking to the school about getting an assessment from an educational psychologist.
Activities and games
Reading together
Read to your child on a regular basis. Ask questions about the story and objects on the page to encourage listening to what you are reading.
What can I hear?
Ask your child to close their eyes for a few seconds and ask them to repeat or say what they can hear. Alternatively, ask your child to cover their eyes and then you make various noises, for example, some keys, and ask them to guess what it was.
Count the word and noisy stories
Read a paragraph and ask your child to count the number of times they hear a particular word (for example, ‘a’, ‘the’). Alternatively ask them to make a sound (for example, ring a bell, push a buzzer) every time they hear the word.
Simon says
Play this traditional game when your child must do what ‘Simon says’, for example, ‘Simon says ‘put your hands in the air’. However, if you don’t say ‘Simon says’ in front of the instruction they must not do it. See if you can catch them out.
Find the teddy
Hide teddy (or another toy) whilst your child is not looking. Then give them a set of instructions saying where teddy is, so they can follow the instructions. For example, “go into your bedroom and look under your bed”. You can make these instructions more or less complex depending on your child’s age and level of understanding.
Rhyming words
Ask your child to say a word which rhymes with one you say.
Count the sound
Read a list of words and ask your child to count the number of words with a certain initial consonant or vowel sound, or combination of sounds for example, ‘st’ in ‘stair’ and ‘past’.
Copy me
Tap a rhythm pattern on a drum or table top, or clap in a rhythm and ask your child to repeat it.
How many sounds?
Read a list of words with more than one syllable and ask you child to count how many syllables. For example, ice cream (2), railway bridge (3), cushion (2).
Missing word
Read a sentence with a word missing and ask your child to provide a suitable word to fill the gap.
Story chain
Start telling a story by saying one or two sentences. Ask your child to make up the next sentence, then take in turns to make up the next sentence until you have finished the story.
Draw the description
Explain an object or person in detail to your child and then ask them to draw it or them. For example, a boy with a big nose and curly hair. You could draw the picture too and then compare what you have drawn. You can make the game more difficult by using more detailed descriptions and adding colours.
What happens next?
Read the beginning of a sentence and ask your child to finish it.
Silly sentence
Read a short paragraph out loud with one ‘silly sentence’ which clearly does not belong to the paragraph, somewhere in the middle.
Ask your child to shout out when they hear the silly sentence.
Tell me the story
Read a short story and ask your child to re-tell it.
Detailed descriptions
Start describing an object, place or person and ask your child to complete the description.
For example, “Granny has short white hair, wears glasses and…”
Listening walk
Go for a walk and listen for different sounds, for example, a bird singing, an aeroplane, then use these sounds to draw a picture or write a poem.
Odd one out
Say a list of words where one is different, for example, dog, cat, biscuit, hamster. Start with three words and gradually increase in number.
Shopping game
Put several different food items at one end of the room. Give your child a bag and ask them to get two named items for you.
Knock, knock
Get your child to sit on a seat facing away from you and gather some of their favourite toy animals. Using funny voices, have each animal knock and then describe itself until your child can guess what animal it is.
Fill the gap
Bring out one of your child’s most loved books and read it aloud but pause at key points and let your child say the word that comes next. Or read the book and purposefully change key details and see if they notice.
Cook together
Find a recipe, read the instructions out loud, and let your child do the measuring, mixing, stirring and pouring.
Directions
Give your child a two-step direction, for example, hop to the fridge then skip back to the chair. When your child can do a two-step direction with ease, increase the difficulty by adding another step, for example, jump to the tree, run to the swing, then come back and give me a hug.
Counting carefully
Ask your child to count aloud as you drop objects into a container. Then ask your child to tell you the number or repeat the actions you have performed. Once they can do this out loud, ask them to count silently.
Contact us
If you require further information, please contact us on:
- Telephone: 01642 854071
- Email: [email protected]
Website: www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/audiology/childrens-hearing/
Patient experience
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.
This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.
To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the Patient Experience Department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print.
T: 01642 835964
E: [email protected]
The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW.
Telephone: 01642 850850
