Tutu’s Corner

The Power of Literacy – Listening

Community Contributed

Column by Tutu and Me

The road to literacy encompasses four aspects: listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Literacy is an important key to success, freedom and power.

Here at Tutu and Me, we will be discussing the importance of all four aspects of literacy.  We will begin with listening. Listening is the beginning of knowledge and communication.  Babies learn to speak their native language by listening. We learn about the world by listening to sounds of nature, to music, to sounds that comfort and sounds that signal danger.

At Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool, children will have many opportunities to practice listening, such as listening to stories, songs and directions at circle time, listening to activities at the listening center, and listening to conversations with adults and other children.

Try This at Home:
•    Truly listen and respond to your child’s questions and comments. Most children know when adults are “pretending” to be listening.
•    Turn off the television at meal times!
•    Read to your child every day, even if it’s just two to three minutes. This gives your child practice in listening to printed words, which is so critical to future reading success.
•    Play listening games: identifying sounds that you hear while walking, guessing whose family member’s vehicle is arriving home, guessing footsteps, guessing whose voice is on the telephone, speaking in whispers, etc.
•    Keep your child’s ears healthy!

Remember: Children who learn to listen well, have a head start on the road to literacy, learning and survival.

Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool is a program of Partners in Development Foundation.  Tutu and Me is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.