The Learning to Listen Project’s Educational Library is for friends, family members, and the general public to learn more about childhood hearing loss, tips for building children’s speech and language skills, and recent research!
Check back often for new resources — All resources are PDF printer-friendly and shareable on social media! Click the Instagram logo next to each resource for an Instagram-friendly post!
Current Research Reviews
- (NEW) Is there a correlation between hearing loss and ADHD?
- Total Communication and Articulation
- Speech and Language Outcomes for Children in Auditory-Verbal Therapy Programs
Childhood Hearing Loss
- Unilateral Hearing Loss
- COVID-19 and Hearing Loss
- Consistency in Hearing Device Use
- Communication Methods
Tips for Building Speech and Language
- LENA’s 14 Talking Tips / Los 14 Consejos Para Hablar
- Brain Anatomy and Early Language
- Let’s Talk: Pragmatics
- Let’s Talk: Syntax
- Let’s Talk: Semantics
What are Signed Languages?
Common Misconceptions
Myth: Sign language is just gestures or mime
Reality: Signed languages have complex linguistic structures including phonology (hand shapes, movements, and locations), morphology, syntax, and pragmatics.
Myth: Signed languages are based on spoken languages
Reality: Signed languages develop independently of spoken languages. ASL, for example, is not a manual version of English – it has its own distinct grammar and structure. Two countries that share a spoken language may have completely different signed languages (e.g., American and British Sign Language).
Myth: Signed language limits cognitive development
The Role of Signed Languages in Development
- Natural language acquisition during critical periods
- Full access to linguistic complexity
- Foundation for learning additional languages
- Support for social-emotional development
- Rich opportunities for family communication