Better Hearing and Speech Month
Tips for Vikings and their families
Dear Parents:
Your ability to enjoy sounds influences both your quality of life and your ability to communicate. The same is true of your children, and it's my job to help children's communication stay on track as much as possible.
During May, my professional association--the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)--celebrates Better Hearing & Speech Month. Given that, I want to take this opportunity to remind you of the important roles that verbal communication and personal interaction play in children's academic and social development all year long.
The primary way young children develop their speech and language abilities is through verbal exchange--talking and reading with parents. Having conversations with family members and hearing stories told through the warmth of the human voice provide a start to children's own reading abilities and overall academic success.
Children also learn from hands-on experiences: conversations while helping in the garden and kitchen, or riding in the car, or baiting a hook to go fishing all contribute to the development of children's ability to communicate...and listen.
Hearing loss due to unsafe listening habits, like listening at high volume through headphones or earbuds, is permanent but preventable.
We've seen reports of a significant spike in hearing loss in recent years. This matters because we know that even mild hearing loss can lead to reduced academic achievement, particularly in reading and math, as well as feelings of isolation. Teach good listening habits, and model them yourself, as early as you can.
---Mrs. Stover
Otselic Valley Central School
Email: communications@ovcs.org
Website: www.ovcs.org
Location: 125 County Rd 13A, South Otselic, NY, United States
Phone: (315) 653-7218
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OtselicValleyCentralSchool/
Twitter: @ovvikings