Kids Don’t Learn Words First. They Learn Tones - Andrew Pudewa

About this episode

Children do not start language by memorizing words. They start by hearing tone in context. In this clip from Schoolhouse Rocked, Andrew Pudewa (Institute for Excellence in Writing) tells Yvette Hampton why sensitizing kids to subtle pitch differences actually improves their ability to discern, understand, and use language. He also draws a line most parents blur: hearing happens automatically. Listening is intentional. And the best place to train it is not more worksheets. It is focused listening to music chosen on purpose, the way you choose literature or food, instead of the accidental soundtrack of stores, restaurants, and screens. The four arts of language, in order: listening, speaking,…