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Listen Up!

Adventures in Auditory Learning

Presenter: Dr. Myrna R. Gifford

Workshop overview: Listen Up! Adventures in Auditory Learning is an interactive workshop designed to provide early childhood educators with a toolbox of easy-to-implement activities that help students build the listening and communication skills so essential to literacy. Participants will learn how to translate the latest research on oral and written language development into daily routines through music, play, and students’ natural interests. Each motivational workshop activity is linked to state preschool and early childhood literacy standards.

Objectives of the presentation: Participants will learn:

  • how the four strands of auditory learning contribute to early literacy,
  • how to develop literacy foundation activities based on rhythm and song, games, and students’ names,
  • how to modify workshop activities to accommodate a range of developmental levels and capabilities,
  • how to use auditory learning activities to assess students’ literacy development.

Format of the presentation: This fast-paced workshop involves participants through multi-media formats including slides, musical recordings, and video. As each strand of auditory learning is explained, members of the audience engage in activities from the students’ point of view. Full-day workshops include breakout sessions where participants have the opportunity to interact with peers and brainstorm about how to implement concepts learned in the overview in their own unique settings.

Target age group: Pre-school and Primary Grade Children

The target audience: Preschool and student care providers, early childhood teachers, special educators, and administrators interested in improving the quality and effectiveness of their programs in developing early literacy foundations.

Brief summary of content: Each of the four strands of auditory learning:

  1. auditory discrimination,
  2. listening comprehension,
  3. auditory memory,
  4. communication skills,

contribute a vital piece to early literacy. Auditory discrimination activities target environmental sounds, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness. These lay the foundation for phonics and spelling skills. Listening comprehension activities target following directions and increasing depth of understanding. These lay the foundations for critical thinking skills. Auditory memory activities target sequencing and working with cumulative forms. These lay the foundations for study skills and expository writing. Communication skills activities focus on conversation skills, grammar and syntax. These lay the foundation for social development, oral and written expression. By providing auditory learning experiences that are motivating and fun for students, we endow them with the tools they will need to succeed in school and in life.
