At The Pool - Listening and Language Tips For Kids With Hearing Loss

 
 

Summer and swimming go hand in hand for many families with young children. The opportunity for maximizing listening and spoken language LSL learning is immense for water-loving families. Early each summer, I guide parents as we brainstorm LSL goals to target with their child while enjoying the pool and related activities. The children’s ages and goals dictate the activities and strategies. I also help families understand and take advantage of water-resistant hearing technology and related gear/equipment.

For home-based LSL intervention, the backyard plastic pool is equally as effective as play-based clinic therapy with a container of water and pool-themed manipulatives. I am fortunate to have a Fisher-Price Little People pool. Countless children have loved listening, learning, and playing with this set over the years. I recently saw that this pool is available on ETSY for only $129.93 😳 . My husband says, SELL IT! but that’s not going to happen!

TALK-ABOUTS for listening, vocabulary and language expansion

  • Packing a bag to go to the pool or grabbing a suit, towel, and toys for the backyard

  • What’s goes in the pool bag? (Towels, sunscreen, hats, shovels… )

  • Putting on a swimsuit or dressing a doll (The straps go over your shoulders.)

  • Swimsuit, bathing suit, bikini, trunks…Cover-up

  • Rubbing sunscreen on your toes vs. nose

  • Pool-related words/phrases that sound similar to little listeners such as ➼ sun, sunny, sunscreen, sunburn, suntan, sunglasses…

  • Body parts vocabulary expansion - forehead, cheeks, chin, shin…

  • The weather ➼ sunny, too hot, cloudy, bright, humid, breezy

  • The water ➼ warm/cool; deep/shallow; sink/float; above, below, or under

  • Pool/ sand toys ➼ and related activities (splashing, digging, castles…)

  • Pool snacks or a picnic lunch ➼ popsicles, ice cream sandwiches...

  • Barefoot ➼ shoes, sandals, flip flops, water shoes

  • Sing, Old MacDonald had a pool E I E I O. And in that pool her had a toy boat.. with a ppppp… Or a beach ball…with a splash, splash…

  • Sing, Motor Boat, Motor Boat Song ( goes so fast, slow, goes around and around…)

Read-aloud stories, iPad apps, and printables for little listeners:

Maisy’s Pool and Maisy Goes Swimming by Lucy Cousins

Dave Sindrey’s pool/beach themed murals, games, and materials in The Listening Room

 
 

Summer-themed Listen With Lynn resources you may like:

 
 

Summer In A Can - A Classic Auditory Verbal Therapy Activity

 
 

Summer in A Can is one of my classic LSL auditory verbal therapy activities that really get kids talking and sharing while focusing on time elements and past tense storytelling skills. Kids relish collecting and filling their can with memories and treasures and have no idea they are growing listening and spoken language skills.

You’ll Need an empty plastic or metal coffee can. If the child wants to make the can personal, they can wrap it in construction paper and decorate it.

Directions The child collects mementos from summer adventures and keeps them in their can. A seashell from the beach, a feather from a bird, a rock from a hike, pictures from a brochure, a ticket stub, a toy car that reminds them of a road trip, or anything to jog memories. If they begin early in the summer and they will have a can full of memories.

Summer in A Can is an easy and rich activity to build spoken language skills all summer long.

 
 

Summer Bucket Lists For Kids With Hearing Loss

 
 

Creating a Summer Bucket in auditory verbal therapy is a listening and language-rich activity that I introduce each year to children who are deaf and hard of hearing. I begin a bucket list with listeners who have just graduated kindergarten and repeat it annually with older kids. Brainstorming for a bucket list is a terrific transition from the school year to summer break. 

There are countless listening and language goals to target and include summer vocabulary, categories, describing places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly, listening to others, asking and answering questions, and speaking one at a time about the topics, building on others' talk in conversations, using clear speech and more. 

Summer is a time to relax but, also an opportunity for extended learning, building language, and adventures whether in the backyard or on a vacation. Parents and kids alike enjoy thinking, talking together, dreaming, and setting summer goals with a bucket list.

How to Guiding Parents and Children When Creating a Summer Bucket List
I begin with a bucket craft made simply from construction paper and target listening and following directions. Next, I introduce printed shapes of summer categories such as a swimming pool, a playground swing, minivan, sunglasses, library book, and more. The parents write the child's goals for each category as we brainstorm and talk together. 

 
 

☀️ Summer Bucket List Categories ☀️
Places I want to visit
Things I want to see
Things I want to try
Summer foods I want to eat
Crafts I want to make
Sunny day activities
Rainy day activities
Nature activities
Playground goals
Sporting goals
Water activities
Swimming goals
Books I want to read
Reading Goals
Camping activities
Carnival rides to try
Fourth of July activities
Beach activities
Summer music concerts
Celebrations to attend
Travel plans
Road trips
Fun with friends

Lazy Days of Summer No Prep Activities For Kids With Hearing Loss

The birds are singing, flowers are bloomin’ and summer is around the corner. Take it easy with no-prep summer resources for growing listening and spoken language.
Go on and make it a great day! It's the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors.

Kids love the Found Sounds outdoor scavenger hunt that builds listening and descriptive language skills. You'll love that it's only two bucks!

 
 

Grab another $2.00 winner the classic,  I’m Going On A ________ activity that's perfect for spring and summer. No wonder it’s well-loved and popular with adults and kids.

 

First, choose a category.
No sweat!
20 are printed on the game board. Kids are so motivated because the letters of the alphabet are provided which boosts memory skills.
It's an easy game that targets listening, vocabulary, categories, auditory memory, and auditory recall.

 

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
Make your summer sessions and lessons easy and carefree with this SUMMER Bundle of Six popular activities
for growing listening and language.

Listen, Search & Find Games Summer
Summer Vocabulary Flexible Language Game
Summer Idioms Listen and Learn
Listen, Riddle & Rhyme Summer
Listen and Draw At The Pool
Summer Auditory Skills
It's a savings of $7.00!

 
 

Check out the new June - Listen By The Month resource and as always grab the
 FREE monthly riddles and jokes.

Learning To Listen Posters For Kids That Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Do you work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing? Check out the Learning to Listen posters or reference charts of the Learning to Listen sounds, words, and phrases.

Learning To Listen Sounds
1. Object Associations Twenty animals and ten vehicles
2. English Vowels  Thirteen English vowels and four diphthongs
3. Actions and Adjectives  Forty-five early actions and ten adjectives

 
 

I hope my Listen With Lynn resources are making your therapy sessions or school lessons effective and easier so you can work smarter not harder!  Thank you for following my growing suite of Listening and Spoken Language resources, tools, and activities.