This article, which is intended as a contribution to wider conversations around music literacy, explores current conceptions of music literacy within the UK, using the area of aural skills training as a focus. Specifically, it considers the nature of music literacy and aural training in secondary (ages 11-18) music curricula and the role of aural…

People who are visually impaired (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) use a wide variety of sensory information to understand the world around them. Hearing is a particularly useful sense because of its range. Many visually impaired people use some form of echolocation to monitor the space around them (for example, the sound of a cane…

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), as defined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), refers to difficulties in the perceptual processing of auditory information in the central nervous system and the neurobiological activity that underlies that processing and gives rise to electrophysiologic auditory potentials (ASHA,…

Auditory-based communication skills are developed at a young age and are maintained throughout our lives. However, some individuals--both young and old--encounter difficulties in achieving or maintaining communication proficiency. Biological signals arising from hearing sounds relate to real-life communication skills such as listening to speech in…

This article discusses the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language--an organization designed to build capacity of certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS) by defining and maintaining a set of professional standards for LSLS professionals and thereby addressing the global deficit of qualified LSLS. Definitions and…

Listening skills are fundamental in the author's approach to teaching music to children. As a Suzuki instructor, the author is always looking for ways to help students listen more effectively. This article sets forth ways listening can be fostered, both in private instrumental study and in general music preschool and elementary classrooms. The…

A hearing impaired person describes ways in which listening to literature on tape while reading can help develop speech, increase auditory training, improve vocabulary and pronunciation, and lead to better understanding of contextual clues. (CL)

This manual describes auditory training activities that de-emphasize production work for articulation-impaired preschoolers. The goal of these activities is to remove the burden of producing sounds so that the clinician can train the child's ear so that the child will eventually be ready and able to produce sounds at an age-appropriate level. The…

Many high schools in the U.S. offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses in music theory for students wishing to study music at the college level. Others devote part of the music curriculum to theory and aural-skills instruction, but do not offer AP courses. In either case, high school theory and aural-skills courses typically strive to cover all, or…

The special section on speech, language, and hearing services in the schools consists of seven brief articles covering: speech/language fluency development, family role in an interdisciplinary program, use of paraprofessionals in a bilingual program, a referral model, collaboration with classroom teachers, caseload size, and auditory training. (DB)

This report describes the design and instructional contingencies of a computer-based system for auditory and visual consonant recognition training. Individual training sequences are developed as students interact with the system. The system is being used at the University of Illinois with adults who require hearing aids or cochlear implants to…

An experiment was carried out at the University of Edinburgh to discover ways in which students might be helped to understand spoken language and to become more confident in their interactions in the language. As a result of the experiment findings, materials were designed to train students to perceive stress patterns, to internalize stress-timing…

This article describes an intensive training program at the University of Colorado to prepare professionals to conduct auditory-verbal therapy with children with hearing loss. Training involves seminars on theory and application and supervised experiences. Also noted are origins of the program, the need for more university training programs, and…

A teaching technique that leads to auditory conceptualization--the ability to determine the number and order of sounds embedded within syllables--shows promise of measurably improving the reading proficiency of children of all ability levels. Based on C. and P. Lindamood's published technique, "Auditory Discrimination in Depth," the…

A musical ear is widely accepted as an essential ingredient in the education of successful music students. Most music educators believe that without a well-developed ear, it's impossible for a musician to function on a professional level as a teacher, conductor, performer, or composer. The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of…