1. Auditory Figure Ground - Children have a harder time than adults separating speech from background noise. Even though your child may look at you when you say their name in a noisy environment the rest of what you say is likely lost in a sea of sounds. Get close, make eye contact and speak up.
2. Auditory Memory – Young children have a hard time remembering long directions. As a rule of thumb young children can remember one direction per year of age. “Put your shoes on and get your coat” is two directions. Use few words, short sentences and give one direction at a time rather than several in a row.
3. Auditory Brain Stem Response– Due to brain differences girls process speech faster than boys. When speaking to young children use fewer words and talk more slowly so they have an easier time processing what you say. This is especially important for boys.
4. Girls Have More Sensitive Hearing – Girls perceive men’s deeper voices as louder. A man’s increased volume when speaking to girls may be perceived as yelling. Men should speak to girls in a slightly lower volume.
5. Boys Perceive Women’s Voices as Quiet – Women should try to increase their volume and/or get close when speaking to boys, making it easier for boys to “hear” them.
6. Women Have a Confusing Inflection – Even when making declarative statements women have an inflection at the end of speaking that may be perceived as questioning. “Time to go” may be heard as “Time to go?”
7. Temporary Threshold Shift – Exposure to loud noise creates a temporary hearing loss and over time causes a permanent hearing loss. Children’s car seats are generally on the back seat of a car between the sound system speakers. Turning up the volume beyond conversational levels will give your child a temporary hearing loss that will last up to 24 hours.
8. Yelling Shuts Down Listening – Yelling at children puts them in a state of “fight or flight” and creates an automatic reaction to run or “fight” back. This shuts down “listening” and cooperation.
9. Give a Warning - Get your child’s attention before you speak to them. Say your child’s name and let them know you want to talk to them such as, “John, I’d like to talk to you for a minute” or “John, please look at me. I want to talk to you”. See # 10 below
10. Eye Contact – Studies show 7% of any message is expressed with words, 38% with vocal elements and 55% through non-verbal elements. Make eye contact with your child to make sure you are both looking at each other and engaged in communication.
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