# Hearing abilities stimulation program for schools

## TL;DR

This study developed and tested a classroom-based hearing abilities stimulation program for preschoolers, showing improved auditory and pre-reading skills.

## Contribution

A novel school-integrated hearing stimulation program was developed and shown to enhance auditory and early literacy skills in preschoolers.

## Key findings

- The program significantly improved auditory figure-ground and temporal resolution skills in the experimental group.
- Students showed better rhyme identification and word production after the intervention.
- The program was successfully integrated into the school curriculum and maintained effectiveness during the pandemic.

## Abstract

To develop and verify the effectiveness of a hearing abilities (HA) stimulation program included in the regular school curriculum and applied by teachers in the classroom.

An HA stimulation program was developed and applied to preschoolers during the school year; 34 children underwent auditory stimulation (ASG) and were compared to a placebo group (PG; n = 31). The students were assessed regarding their HA and pre-reading and decoding skills before and after the intervention. They were reassessed twice after applying the program to monitor the students' performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program includes activities applied at school by teachers for 25 weeks, lasting 10-15 minutes/day, stimulating the following HA: detection, discrimination, temporal processing, figure-ground, closure, memory, and attention. The ASG and PG performances differed significantly after the program.

The program was incorporated into the curriculum, helping to develop the skills recommended by the Ministry of Education. After auditory stimulation, ASG performed better in auditory figure-ground, temporal resolution, rhyme identification and production, and word production from the phoneme given.

Elaborar e verificar a efetividade de um programa de estimulação das HA inserido na grade curricular comum e aplicado por professores em sala de aula.

Um programa de estimulação das habilidades auditivas (HA) foi elaborado e aplicado no ano letivo de escolares da educação infantil. Trinta e quatro crianças foram estimuladas auditivamente (GEA) e comparadas a um grupo placebo (GP. N=31). Os alunos foram avaliados quanto às HA, habilidades pré-leitoras e de decodificação, pré e pós-intervenção. Duas reavaliações foram realizadas após a aplicação do programa, permitindo um acompanhamento do desempenho dos escolares em meio à pandemia Covid-19.

O programa proposto conta com atividades que foram aplicadas pelos professores durante 25 semanas, entre 10-15 minutos/dia, em ambiente escolar. As HA estimuladas foram: detecção, discriminação, habilidades temporais, figura-fundo, fechamento, memória e atenção. Houve diferença significativa entre o desempenho do GEA e GP após a aplicação do programa.

O programa pôde ser incorporado na grade curricular, auxiliando no desenvolvimento das habilidades preconizados pelo Ministério da Educação. Após a estimulação auditiva, percebeu-se melhor desempenho em figura-fundo auditiva, resolução temporal, identificação e produção de rima e produção de palavra a partir de fonema dado no GEA.