IDEA 3
Hearing ‘It feels like I am speaking all day long when I am in class. This means my pupils must be doing a lot of listening.’ The sense of hearing, or auditory sense, is also crucial for learning in most classrooms. Pupils need to listen to what their teacher is saying. They need to listen to videos, music and other instructions. They are also listening to their peers. Adequate listening skills are vital for schooling success.
Teaching tip For the purposes of this book, it is assumed that the pupil does not have hearing loss. If there is hearing loss, this needs to be treated by specialists. If you are worried about a pupil’s hearing, ask their parents to request a hearing assessment. Their GP can make a referral.
As you will likely know, the receptor for hearing is the cochlear. This is part of the inner ear and it processes the sound waves that are received from the environment. The speed of the sound wave determines the frequency of the sound. The sound waves enter the ear, travel to the ear drum and make it vibrate. The brain then interprets these vibrations as sounds. The auditory sense helps to orientate us to our environment. Some pupils find locating and identifying sounds more challenging. Or, they might speak too loudly as they don’t discriminate volume of sound very well. Some pupils have difficulty paying attention to the right noises, e.g. the teacher talking. They may become distracted by irrelevant sounds. Others might be slower to register that sounds have occurred. Sound sensitivity can also occur (Idea 13) and this might lead to overload (Idea 32). In all cases, the pupil misses out on learning. It can be helpful to identify whether the pupil is sensitive to sounds or less aware of them. If a pupil is less aware, greater variety, volume and variance in pitch may help. Some pupils may also benefit from a sound cue (e.g. a bell or a clap) to draw their attention. Listening for the direction of sounds with their eyes closed can also be a way to help pupils to identify direction of sounds.
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