Lesson 2

Vision and hearing are vital for learning. Like all bodily functions, hearing and vision are controlled by the brain. During infancy, the brain must be stimulated so that babies can see and hear properly. The eyes must be trained to see detail and process different images. They need to have interesting things to look at and lots of close human contact. The ears also develop in early infancy. Babies should be exposed to music, talking, and nature sounds. Loud, monotonous sounds can have a detrimental effect. As a teacher, I need to look for signs of hearing and vision problems. Lazy eyes or inattentiveness many be signs of vision or hearing problems. When detected, I must refer students for evaluation. Although they may not be able to have complete correction of the problems by the time they are in first grade, the brain can still repair some functioning. Corrective lenses and hearing aids can do a world of good so that students can learn.