World of sounds

A child in the world of sounds - a few words about the development and stimulation of hearing in the youngest

The senses are tools thanks to which we get to know ourselves and the world around us. We receive signals from our body and from outside. Last month I wrote to you about the touch. In this I decided to bring the next of the senses, which plays a huge role in getting to know the world - hearing.

The development and maturation of the hearing organ occurs during fetal life. This is one of the senses that plays the most important role before birth, because in about 5 months the fetus can be seen changes in the body position in response to sounds coming from outside. After 6 months of pregnancy, you can observe the adjustment of movements to the pace of the sounds you hear. The heartbeat, mother's voice, rhythmic steps and repeated sounds of music and speech have the greatest meaning at this time. That is why parents are often told to listen to music, sing, read, talk to the belly.

After birth

After birth, the child's environment changes completely. The sounds he hears now are different from those heard in my mother's stomach. His body does not protect him. The child gradually learns to distinguish sounds. Initially, it responds to them with a change in heart rate and motor reactions, with time also a smile. Parents play a key role here, especially mothers. Thanks to frequent speaking to the child , Mother tongue, singing, using sound-like phrases (eg the sounds of animals, objects), teach the child to select the most important sounds from all those reaching him.

3-4 months old

About 3 - 4 months old, the child begins to listen to the words of adults, and a moment later the sounds issued by items such as rattles. It is good to give the child a rattle to emit different sounds to provide him with a different listening experience. At this time, you can also usually see that the child turns his head in the direction from which he hears the sound.

6 months old

A few months later, usually around 6 months, the child begins to play with the voice, trying to pronounce the first syllables. It is babbling (earlier from about 2 months of age, it seemed accidental sounds that were the result of movements of the articulation apparatus, called głueniem). The child does not understand the meaning of the spoken sounds yet, but as the exercises and conversations with adults grow, and these skills. During this period, you can also see the first attempts to manipulate objects in order to extract new sounds.

First year

Before the end of the first year of life, i.e. in the so-called period of the melody, the child begins to release more and more sounds, to understand the emotional color of the speech, simple commands, to recognize the expression of the sound and imitation. It also begins with 'interest in' music, tries to move to the rhythm of music, playing instruments, and starts to distinguish singing from speaking.

Listening skills

In the following months, years the child's listening skills improve. Although we are born with the ability to hear, the hearing develops gradually through experience. It is therefore important to provide your child with the best possible hearing training, as many hearing experiences as possible from an early age. Adequate auditory stimulation will help your child not only to better understand and interpret the surrounding world and to facilitate behavior in everyday situations. It will also prepare the child for later school education.

Stimulation

So how to stimulate the hearing of a small child? First of all, talk to him, describe the activities performed, talk. It is important, however, to speak correctly, do not fuss and speak with different intonation and voice intensity. Reading books, telling fairy tales, reciting poems, rhymes, singing songs, listening to music play a huge role. A good listening exercise is imitating the sounds of both animals and those around you, and playing instruments.

At the occasion of hearing, it is also worth emphasizing the huge role of music in child development. Listening to music, dancing, playing instruments not only makes pleasure, but also exercises physical coordination, large and small motor skills, concentration of attention, additionally by singing the child exercises articulation and communication with others.