What is the Difference Between Hearing and Listening?
Although the words can be used synonymously with one another, listening and hearing are two different aspects of language. Hearing is a sense and listening is a skill. How do children learn to listen? How does the brain interpret new information? When is the best stage for child hearing development?
Learning to Listen with our Brains
Have you ever (as an adult or a child) been able to hear but not listen to someone?
Hearing and listening are two different skill sets that are developed over time, from the moment you are born, and even while you were still in the womb. Children gain language skills through all interactions that surround them, especially when exposed to language-rich activities such as play groups, reading time, or conversations at home. As recommended by speech therapists, listening and engaging with audiobooks and podcasts are fantastic language-rich activities.
The foundations of sound, hearing, and listening are laid down at a very young age, through the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes auditory information.
Due to the plasticity of the baby brain (neuroplasticity), it is critical to stimulate children’s auditory cortex by introducing them to language and sound especially in the first five years of life, when the brain is developing at the fastest speed.
What is Neuroplasticity? It is the brain’s ability to change – to rewire, relearn and strengthen important connections. When the brain takes in new information from surroundings and processes it, it creates new channels and pathways in the brain. When children are very young, their brains are very plastic, and are constantly learning new things. This is why young children are able to learn multiple languages so quickly and at ease. Early intervention is so critical when working with the brain as there is only a short window of time where learning new skills can be acclimated quickly. Although it is not easy and requires work, even if the window is missed when the child is young, the brain always has the plasticity to learn new things.
To learn more about other foundations of language, click here
To learn more about how to put it into practice at home, click here
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