Active Listening

What is it?

Babies come into the world with brains hard-wired for listening. A fetus in the third trimester can already hear its mother’s heartbeat and other environmental sounds, including music.

During the first year of life, infants develop their listening skills further, responding increasingly to music, language, and tone.

Listening is a major avenue for learning: hearing and recognizing the voices of different familiar people; recognizing the connection of certain sounds (e.g., lullabies vs. active songs) to certain activities (sleep vs. play); or simply knowing that a parent’s voice or footsteps signal that food, a dry diaper, or comfort is coming.

Listening seems like such a simple thing, hardly something that takes training—but how many 

times have you thought I know he can hear me, but he’s just not listening! In cases like these, the word listening (in contrast to hearing) is really being used to mean paying attention, focusing, understanding, or “getting it”. This kind of listening, called active listening, is a skill that does, in fact, take practice and even instruction.

But here’s the rub—it’s also a skill that is essential to school success. The way most schools are set up, up to 75% of the time your child will spend in a classroom will be spent learning through listening!

Here’s where music comes in. Researchers believe that music instruction helps children build active listening skills.

By “tuning in” to music and other specific sounds carefully, one at a time, and with full attention, children hone their listening skills. Through songs and chants, children develop an ear for the patterns of sounds in words, phrases, and sentences. And as children listen to and sing words set to music, they become familiar with other sounds, rhymes, rhythms, and patterns in language. 

How It Works in Class

• Listen. You and your toddler stop, focus, and listen to the sound, for example, of a baby elephant. 
• Connect. Your child hears the teacher’s directions, hears your voice repeating the words, and learns to focus on the sounds entering his or her ears and connect them to the concepts you describe: Listen to the sound of a baby elephant.
• Imitate. You and your child will use vocal play to playfully repeat the sounds you hear. 
• Discuss. Together, the class may discuss what they heard, what it sounded like, and how 
• the sounds were different. 

What You Can Do at Home

• Sounds Around the Home. Listen actively to the sounds around your home: a clock ticking, the creaks of floorboards, a garbage truck outside…. Imitate and discuss the sounds.
• Be a Good Listener. Model active listening by being very attentive to what your child says, whether words, short sentences, or just sounds.
• Stop the Music. Use the songs on your Kindermusik CDs for a simple version of musical chairs that teaches careful listening. Listen for the music to stop, then freeze!

*Source: Kindermusic Music and Reading Full Research Booklet

Ages 18 months to 3 years old

Little Treblemakers proudly offers Kindermusik for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids. Schedule your Free Preview Class today!Call/Text: 818-953-4954 Email: Liltreblemakers@aol.com