The Observatory for sight and hearing health published a study carried out by OpinionWay, on the role of hearing in learning and reading. Contrary to perceived ideas, sight is not the only sense used in identifying letters. Reading is a complex mechanism which decodes not just words but also sounds.

Publication Optical Center, written by Manu Gosselinois 16.07.2019 - 13h53

Hearing difficulties should not be neglected

In order to decipher words, children must be able to understand what they hear. The brain has to establish a link between sound and sight in order to comprehend the text it is reading. Children who have difficulty in distinguishing different sounds will not identify written letters correctly.

Difficulties in detecting hearing disorders

Minor hearing disorders are difficult to detect. Children hearing indistinct signals are able to understand what they hear thanks to the environment and the context. Minor hearing disorders may be caused by serous otitis which may remain undetected. Parents should be concerned if their children tend to isolate themselves, or if they have understanding difficulties or appear to be slow learners compared to other children, or if they speak loudly.

What are the solutions to detect these difficulties?

According to the study, most of the school teachers surveyed declared that they had already detected hearing difficulties among their pupils. The health authorities recommend regular check-ups from the age of 4 months onwards. Less than half of children benefit from recommended eyesight and hearing checks at school.