Listening to Different Sounds
Aims
This activity is designed to:
- give your child opportunities to practice listening to the differences between speech sounds
- teach your child that their actions (pointing/tapping) can have consequences (turning the card over) and how to choose a sound card
- continue to expose your child to the sounds that make up spoken language
- continue to teach your child to associate visual prompts (pictures) with specific sounds
- continue to encourage your child to start to imitate individual speech sounds
When to start
You can start the Listening to Different Sounds activity when your child is interested and attentive when listening to sounds presented together with picture prompts. The Listening to Single Sounds activity can help your child practise these skills.
Getting ready
Selecting pairs of sounds
We recommend that you first practise this activity with pairs of sounds that are easier to distinguish between. For example, [b] and [sh] sound quite different, whereas [b] and [d] sound quite similar.
To help select these, we have grouped pairs of sounds into more distinct (first) pairs and less distinct (later) pairs. These are the pairs presented in the app:
- First pairs: [b]/ [sh], [d]/ [s], [p]/ [v], [m]/ [g], [n]/ [k], [h]/ [j], [w]/ [f], [f]/ [y], [l]/ [ch], [r]/ [t], [oo]/ [ar], [o]/ [a], [oa]/ [igh], [oi]/ [ur], [oo]/ [ee], [ow]/ [ai]
- Later pairs: [b]/ [d], [p]/ [t], [d]/ [g], [m]/ [n], [s]/ [sh], [p]/ [k], [b]/ [p], [t]/ [d], [k]/ [g], [f]/ [v], [s]/ [z], [m]/ [b], [n]/ [d], [s]/ [t], [z]/ [d], [th]/ [p], [th]/ [zh], [air]/ [ear], [e]/ [i], [or]/ [ar], [u]/ [a], [ur]/ [ear]
Cards
Sort the cards into pairs. Initially, you should use distinct pairs, such as those in the First Pairs list above.
App
Select Activities > Listening to Different Sounds and select the set of sound card pairs you wish to work with. Initially, you should select First Pairs to work with more distinct pairs.
Instructions
| 1 | Present the pair of sound cards face down. | |
Cards: Place the cards face down on the table/floor in front of your child.
|
[Apps]: Begin the activity and position the tablet/computer screen so that your child can see the cards (initially face down) on the screen. ::: |
|
| 2 | Encourage your child to select a card. You can model the task by pointing or tapping a card. Encourage your child to point to or tap one of the cards. |
|
| 3 | Turn the card over and say the sound. Turn over the selected card. (The app will turn over a card when tapped.) Make the target sound represented by the sound card. |
|
|
|
|
| 4 | Encourage your child to select the other card. Encourage your child to point to or tap the other card. |
|
| 5 | Turn card over and say the sound. Turn over the selected card. (The app will turn over a card when tapped.) Make the target sound represented by the sound card. |
|
|
|
|
| 6 | Encourage your child to select a card and say the sound. With the same cards remaining face-up, encourage your child to point to or tap one of the cards. Each time your child points to or taps a card, say the sound. Point to or highlight the selected card while you say the sound. (The app will highlight the card if it is tapped.) Give your child the chance to imitate the sound. |
|
| 7 | Repeat step 6 three or more times. Encourage your child to choose a card by pointing or tapping and in response say the sound a further three or more times. |
|
| 8 | Present the next pair of sound cards face down. | |
Cards: Place the next pair of cards face down on the table/floor in front of your child. |
[Apps]: Move to the next pair of cards by tapping/clicking the right arrow. |
|
| 9 | Repeat steps 2-8. Continue with the new pair, repeating steps 2-8 until you finish the set. |
|
| 10 | Praise your child. Reward your child for working through the set. Praise them for their attention and focus with 'good looking' or similar as they are learning by watching and listening. By default, the apps will play applause at the end of each set when the check button displayed to the bottom right of the screen is tapped or clicked. |
|
:::
Recording progress
You can use the Listening to Different Sounds record forms to record the date of each teaching session and the sets of sounds that you worked through (see Figure 3 for an example).
The main aims of the Listening to Different Sounds activity are to provide opportunities to listen to the individual speech sounds and learn to distinguish between them, and to teach your child to make a choice by pointing or tapping a card.
To monitor progress, you should use the Observations column of the Listening to Different Sounds record form to record any responses or reactions. For example:
- Good attention - record how long your child is able to attend and engage in the activity
- Choosing - record if your child points to or taps a card
- Sound attempts - record any responses or reactions your child makes to particular sounds or sound cards - for example, your child may vocalise or move their lips
Figure 3 | Example Listening to Different Sounds record form
When to move to the next set of cards
We recommend that your child practises listening to the First Pairs set for at least 20 sessions before moving on to the Later Pairs set.
If your child is starting to imitate many of the sounds, you can move on sooner.
Again, we recommend that your child practises listening to the Later Pairs set for at least 20 sessions.
If your child begins to get bored of a set of cards, you can randomly select different pairs of cards to provide some variety.
When to move to the next activity
You can move on to the Selecting Different Sounds activity when your child is regularly pointing to or tapping the cards to select which one should be turned over.
For younger children this may take a few months of daily practice. For older children this may only take a few weeks.
Additional activities
- App: Let your child step through the activity with the recorded voice switched on for extra input and practice. Let them listen to the audio prompt then tap or click each card to hear the sound again. Encourage them to imitate the sound if they can. Let them tap the arrow to move to the next card.
- Cards: Hold up a 'fan' of sound cards and let your child choose a card. Then make the sound on the card and have your child place it in a box.
