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Sensory Play for Toddlers
Part Two: Developing the Sense of Hearing By Laura Cone
most fundamental way to help a child develop his sense of hearing. But Trelease reminds parents that a toddler's attention span is usually two to three minutes, unless you read to them while pregnant.
"A toddler has just recently discovered they are ambulatory, that they can get from one end of the room to the other," says Trelease. "And considering they were locked up inside someone's stomach for the first nine months and then for the next 12 months, they were locked up in a chair and crib, now they can get around. If, by the time they have reached 12 months of age, they have come to associate the book with a very secure, pleasurable experience; then they are less inclined to leave the book to go across the room to get something."
Trelease suggests reading to a toddler while he is in a highchair eating or playing in his crib. Also, don't neglect the ritual of reading a story at bedtime.
Children who have heard the most words come to school with the largest vocabularies, says Trelease. Some teachers may wonder if your child has a hearing problem if they seem unresponsive in class. Although hearing problems are common and often related to frequent ear infections, your child may simply not comprehend what the teacher is saying.
"The kids who have heard the most words understand the most of what the teacher is saying," says Trelease. "The kids who have heard the fewest words understand the least of what she is teaching and they fall behind."
Trelease says in order for a word to make a substantial impact, a child has to hear it about 12 times. He suggests reading to your child and playing books on tape and listening to radio dramas. Although it's important to talk to a child in conversation, it's not the same as reading to a child, according to Trelease. Words on a page are more sophisticated, contain more rare words and are written in more complex, longer sentences.
While no one expects you to put on an Emmy-award-winning performance every time you read, he says it is important to show enthusiasm. Never rush through a book just to get it over with or your child may pick up the message that reading is not important.