Resources and links

On this page there are a range of resources and links to support you in developing listening, understanding and communication at home. There are many more resources available online; we have suggested some which we have used or we know that our patients use. Almost all are suitable for those with hearing aids as well as those with cochlear implants.

When looking for resources to use with your child, bear in mind their listening age and language level as well as their actual age. For more information, contact the Outreach Support Team or an audiologist at naip@nuh.nhs.uk

Babies and young children learning to listen

Follow the links by clicking on the resource titles.

Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme

Helping your baby learn to listen

This leaflet is aimed at helping parents/carers to switch on their baby’s awareness of sound and listening. It is useful for children who have hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Advanced Bionics

Advanced Bionics Rehab Portal

Once you have registered for this free portal you can access information about a range of rehab resources including LIVE WEBINARS - on line talks about developing listening and language and resources to help.

BabyBeats

The BabyBeats app includes a range of musical activities to help you and your baby bond, play and learn together so that your child can learn to listen and communicate through music. In the app you will find instructional videos, a parent guide, musical tracks and transportation and animal picture cards. You can download the app on the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android.

The Listening Room

This website has free activities and resources to support the development of listening skills, speech and language. You simply need to register to create your free account here: https://thelisteningroom.com/ and then look at resources for infants and toddlers or preschool.

Cochlear

Sound Foundation for babies

These resources provide parents of children with hearing loss, guidance in developing their child's spoken language through listening. You can find information and ideas for up to the first forty weeks of learning to listen with supporting resources.

Sound foundation for toddlers

This resource is designed for children of 24 to 36 months of age, who receive their cochlear implant around 12 months of age. It consists of lessons and tips designed to be uses over a period of 40 weeks which cover listening, receptive language, expressive language and speech as well as a song and story book for each week.

Speech Sounds: A guide for parents and professionals

This is a resource based on the premise that young children with cochlear implant(s) need to be exposed to all speech sounds through listening as a building block in establishing a strong auditory foundation. It is aimed at children between 1 and 5 years The resources focuses on 20 sounds and gives ideas for introducing the sounds in everyday games and activities.

Hearing First

https://www.hearingfirst.org/

This website gives lots of information about learning to listen and talk from diagnosis of deafness onwards. There is a useful section called 'What to do' with lots of tips and strategies.

Elizabeth Foundation

Let’s Listen and Talk

This is an online resource for families which takes you step-by‑step through the process of building your child’s listening and speaking skills. It is split into three sections: baby, toddler and preschool. Due to the needs of families during the Coronavirus-Covid-19 restrictions, the programme is free of charge, until further notice. You can access it here: https://www.elizabeth-foundation.org/services/online/

I Can

Talking Point

Here you can find information to help you understand and support children and young people’s speech, language and communication. Talking Point is designed to help parents who are concerned about their child’s development.

A Communicative Supportive Environment (factsheet)

Early Voices parent leaflet

Top ten toys for the development of communication skills

The communication Trust

Resources for parents

The website includes a number of resources to support communication in children of various ages

Listen up

Resources to encourage listening, understanding, interaction and play. Try the resources for 0-5 year olds.

Raa Raa the noisy lion

A nursery pack created to support the Cbeebies programme, Raa Raa the Noisy Lion

Through the eyes of a child

A set of four short films Narrated by comedian Kathy Burke, the films are full of useful advice on how parents can encourage their child to talk and interact with them. There are 4 films, divided into age group, for parents who have children up to the age of 3. Scroll right to the bottom of the page here to download them.

Medel

Medel Blog

On this blog, in the tips and tricks section, you can find the 'Rehab at home' resources with rehab ideas for you to do at home with your young and school aged children.

Tips and tricks

Medel also produce a range of booklets and resources which can be downloaded from the support area of their website:

Little Ears Diary and Little Ears Diary Activities

Lesson Kit: My House

Little listeners

Music and young children with cochlear implants

Tips and tricks

National literacy trust

Talk to Your Baby

This is a series of quick tips for parents and practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills. Each sheet is available in thirteen languages (and growing). All the leaflets are downloadable here. Examples of two of the leaflets:

Tips for talking to your baby or young child

Dummies and learning to talk

Small Talk

This website, created by the National Literacy Trust, includes short videos, tips and information to help parents chat, play and read with their young child every day.

Words for Life

This section has information and ideas about talking and reading to children and is divided into age sections, including a section for baby to 3 years and one for 3-5 years.

A page with the words for lots of action songs

Action songs

A page with the words for lots of action songs.

Twinkl

This teacher’s website has been made available to parents too during the time of the Coronavirus-Covid-19 restrictions. It provides a wide range of downloadable and printable resources, many of which are free. Talk to your teacher or follow the instructions on the website:

YouTube videos

There are many videos which give practise listening to sounds with pictures. These are a few examples. Be aware that most contain advertisements.

Animal sounds

Vehicle sounds

Musical instruments

School aged children listening to develop language

Follow the links by clicking on the resource titles.

Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme

Advanced Bionics

Advanced Bionics Rehab Portal

Once you have registered for this free portal you can access information about a range of rehab resources including LIVE WEBINARS (on line talks about developing listening and language) and the following resources:

VocAB Scenes App

AB Listening Adventure App

These interactive apps (for iPad) support your child's language understanding, memory, and vocabulary.

Musical Journey

Designed for children aged 2½ to 6 years old. You can download the book and the songs/music that go with it In the AB rehab portal.

The Listening Room

This website has free activities and resources to support the development of listening skills, speech and language for all ages. You simply need to register to create your free account here. https://thelisteningroom.com/ and then look at resources for school age children.

Cochlear

Leaping on with Language

This is a resource for parents and classroom teachers. This resource provides practical strategies which aim to accelerate your child’s spoken language learning.

Medel

Medel Blog

On this blog, in the tips and tricks section, you can find the Rehab at home resources with rehab ideas for you to do at home with school aged children. Here are a couple of examples:

How can I teach my child about thoughts and feelings?

Why should my child practise listening to descriptions?

Medel also produce a range of booklets and resources which can be downloaded from the support area of their website here

Lesson Kit: My House

Murat series of books and activities

Music and young children with cochlear implants

Twinkl

Home learning Hub

This has lots of free resources divided into age groups

National Literacy Trust

Words for Life

This website, which is part of the National Literacy Trust, has information and ideas about talking and reading to children and is divided into age sections, including a section for 5-7 years and one for 7-11 years.

The Communication Trust

Summer Talk

Games and activities to support children’s communication when you are out and about in the summer.

Primary milestone poster

Top tips for developing talk (poster)

Storytelling and retelling

I can

Talking Point

A useful website for children who have difficulties with communication, particularly with social communication.

NASA

NASA at Home

Here you will find a wide range of space themed activities for all ages.

Children with complex needs

In addition to the resources above, in age group categories, some websites provide specific resources and ideas for children with complex needs and disabilities.

Follow the links by clicking on the resource titles.

Special Education and Inclusive Learning

150 sensory learning ideas

Twinkl

SEND Home learning resource pack

You will need to set up a free account to download this pack.

Scope

Ideas for home-schooling

Older children and teens

You may also find our resources for adults useful - check them out here

Follow the links by clicking on the resource titles.

Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme

Improving communication for people with severe/profound hearing loss

This booklet includes advice and information on how you can make the most of your hearing, and what others can do to help when you cannot hear easily. It also includes information on useful organisations and resources you might use.

Advanced Bionics

Advanced Bionics Rehab Portal

https://apps2.advancedbionics.com/auth/login/SsoForm

Once you have registered for this free portal you can access information about a range of rehab resources including those listed below and LIVE WEBINARS - on line talks about developing listening skills and resources to help.

Sound Success

Set up a free account (as for the rehab portal) to access this programme which is designed to help you improve your confidence using your hearing technology, ease of understanding different speakers and ease of listening in noisy environments. It includes exercises to help train you to hear better using your hearing technology. Your training will be self-paced. Work on your computer, iPad or tablet.

Musical Atmospheres

Set up a free account (as for the rehab portal) to access this interactive program designed to help teenagers and adults with cochlear implants explore the world of music.

The Listening room

A range of lessons to help practise listening skills, some aimed at teenagers.

Cochlear

Bring back the beat app

Medel

Medel Blog

this blog has a range of tips and tricks for adults some of which are useful for older teens.

How to deal with questions about your hearing implant

Tips on how to answer tricky questions from people about your hearing implant.

The following booklets are also available to download on the Medel site:

Telephone Training Tips

Music Tips for Adults

The Buzz

A website for deaf young people with lots of information about daefness and identity, communication and British Sign Language.

Adults

The following links are designed to give you some ideas of places to start looking for further information and resources which may be useful; there are manyt more available. NAIP does not recommend specific products or manufacturers and a link to these sites does not imply a preference.

Follow the links by clicking on the resource titles.

Improving Communication with family, friends and colleagues

Improving communication for people with severe/profound hearing loss

This booklet from the Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme (NAIP) includes advice and information on how you can make the most of your hearing, and what others can do to help when you cannot hear easily. It also includes information on useful organisations and resources you might use. NAIP have also produced this short information sheet:

Information for family, friends and colleagues

C2Hear

This site has a very useful Communication Tactics video about improving communication for people with hearing loss. This interactive resource is ideal to watch with family and friends.

There is also a section which aims to help new hearing aid users to better use their hearing aids.

Oticon have produced a number of documents useful to discuss with family and friends. Here is one of them:

Communication is a Two Way Street

Developing listening skills; from early days to further rehab.

Listening Practice Ideas

These information sheets from Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme give ideas for listening practise at various levels. If you are not sure which to use, speak to one of the team at NAIP. Click each below to download:

Instructions - Familiar phrases

Instructions - Listening to words (same length)

Instructions - Listening to words (different lengths)

Instructions - Recognising people from their voices

Instructions - Tracking

Instructions - Practising with audio books

Advanced Bionics Rehab Portal

https://apps2.advancedbionics.com/auth/login/SsoForm

Once you have registered for this free portal from Advanced Bionics you can access information about a range of rehab resources including those listed below and LIVE WEBINARS - on line talks about developing listening skills and resources to help.

If you are just beginning with your cochlear implants try to work through all sections of the ‘Getting Started’ sections systematically as they get progressively harder. If you are a good lipreader, you might find the ‘listening to sentences’ section easier

Sound Success

The Listening room

A range of lessons to help practise listening skills.

Cochlear Communication Corner

Choose ‘adults’ from the age ranges. You can then view the resources available and try the samples. A short assessment guides you to the best place to start and there are suggestions for what to try next

Medel Blog

This blog has a range of tips and tricks for adults to help develop listening skills and communication strategies.

How to deal with questions about your hearing implant

Tips from Medel on how to answer tricky questions from people about your hearing implant.

Listening to spoken word

Listening to stories and factual information at your own pace can be helpful in developing listening skills. If possible use the written text or subtitles alongside begin with. There are a many of these resources available on line; here are just a few to try:

Audible

TED talks (found on YouTube.com)

Videos of speakers talking on a range of interesting subjects.

Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme have a small collection of audiobooks and audio equipment which can be loaned out to our patients. If you would like more information please speak to your NAIP audiologist or speech and language therapist at your next appointment.

Resources and links

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