Wow!  I've let too much time pass between blog posts!  I've been thinking about this post for the past couple of weeks, but am just now getting to it!  I wanted to talk about the Learning to Listen Sounds.  The Learning to Listen sounds are sound-object associations which are used early in aural habilitation.  They’re very important because they teach the child to attend to sounds (detection), help the child learn to distinguish one sound from another (discrimination), and link a sound to meaning (identification). The Learning to Listen sounds also introduce the child to sounds that will later be used in their speech.  The Learning to Listen sounds are often naturally used by parents, in general.  They’re important for all children, but especially important for kids with hearing loss who are learning listening and spoken language.

I won’t reinvent the wheel with materials because there’s a lot out there on the web.  A module about the Learning to Listen Sounds created by Ellen Rhoads can be found here:  Learning to Listen Sounds Module

For older kids working on the LTL sounds, I use the cards in the above module.  I like them because they also note what the sound is.  They're a good resource for both parents and professionals so that the sounds are consistent.

However, my MOST often used materials for working on the LTL sounds is a box of toys.  These were collected over time from thrift stores and garage sales.  I suggest making yourself a list (from the objects in the module).  It doesn’t take long to find all the items you need to make your own box!

Cochlear Online has also created a listing of books which contain the LTL sounds. That list can be found here:  Books with Learning to Listen Sounds

You can also use these sounds in known songs, such as Old MacDonald and The Wheels on the Bus.  Old MacDonald has lots of animals that make sounds!  Anything can ride on the bus and make its sound!

Play, sing, read, and cement these sound-object associations!  They are critical for laying the foundation for listening and speech!