The first step

Abstract

What a child hears sufficiently well, often and meaningfully, is what he will learn. It follows, therefore, that if as early as possible the child can make the sound for itself without having to rely on another person, progress will be very much quicker. Looking at the way the visual system overtakes the hearing in its use for learning (Research by Socomy Vacuum Oil Co.), merely because the environment provides day-long opportunities for visual learning, shows how important it is to provide adequate opportunities to learn. Making a sound for itself also increases the learning opportunities because the child’s body acts as a resonator, making it easier to hear (Sarah Munro). It has been found when teaching hearing-impaired children, that they respond to sounds at a much lower level than their audiograms would lead us to believe was possible (Wisbey, 1976), when they make the sound for themselves.