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*Brought to you by the What to Expect and Hearing First staff
Parent Tip
Narrate your activities to her, sing while changing her diaper and read a variety of books.
Your baby's sense of hearing is essential to brain development, language skills and learning. When you know the status of your baby's hearing, you can ensure his brain is perceiving all the sounds it needs to grow.
Why is your newborn's hearing important?
Early Learning Toolkit
for moms-to-be
Learn About the
Newborn Hearing Screening
Use these helpful tips to foster your baby’s early learning and brain development.
Every time you talk, sing or read to your baby, you're helping new brain connections develop!
Why is your newborn’s hearing important?
What is a newborn hearing screening?
When is the test done?
What if my baby's test results are abnormal?
Get Inspired:
Book and Music Lists
Here are some of our favorite picks for reading to and listening together with your child.
Best Books for Interactive Play
Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure
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by Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez
A great book for new dads that also helps babies identify farm animals and the sounds they make.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
This rhyming book with sweet illustrations has predictable and repeatable lines that help develop your baby's memory and guessing skills as well as teach him the names of animals.
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Please, Baby, Please
by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee
A rhythm-filled book that shares the exuberant (and challenging) daily moments of life with a baby.
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Whose Toes Are Those?
by Jabari Asim
This cheerful rhyming book plays off the classic "This Little Piggy" game that babies love.
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Global Babies
by The Global Fund for Children
With photos of babies from all over the world, this book provides an opportunity to describe pictures instead of just reading. By two months of age, babies can distinguish facial features, and they love to look at photos of other babies.
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Peek-A-Who
by Nina Laden
This colorful Peek-a-Boo board book encourages guessing with each page. As a bonus, there's a fun surprise: a mirror on the last page so babies can see their faces.
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Where is Baby’s Belly Button?
by Karen Katz
This delightful book has vivid pictures and easy-to-lift flaps to encourage interaction with your baby.
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You Must Never Touch a Spider
by Rosie Greening
The "You Must Never Touch" series features bright illustrations, touch-and-feel features, and silly rhymes to engage multiple senses.
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Everywhere Babies
by Susan Meyers
With irresistible rhyming text and endearing illustrations, this board book is an exuberant celebration of playing, sleeping, crawling, and all the wonderful things babies do best.
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Open The Barn Door
by Christopher Santaro
This interactive durable flap book features common animals and the sounds they make. Flap books help babies learn to make predictions and discoveries.
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I Love You to the Moon and Back
by Amelia Hepworth
This delightful book packed with heartfelt quotations and a sweet, gentle rhyme is the perfect way to say “I love you” as your child nods off to sleep.
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On the Night You Were Born
by Nancy Tillman
The dreamy words, detailed illustrations, and warm message will make this book a nightly favorite.
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The Wonderful Things You Will Be
by Emily Winfield Martin
With a catchy rhythm, whimsical illustrations, and a heartfelt message of love and acceptance, this book makes a great bedtime story.
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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers
by Karen Katz
The lyrics of Mister Rogers' famous theme song explore universal topics such as feelings, siblings, everyday life, imagination, and more. It's a perfect book for bedtime or a quiet sing-along.
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Little Owl’s Night
by Divya Srinivasan
This sweet story follows a little owl that is exploring the beauty of nighttime. The lovely illustrations introduce your baby to different forest plants and animals as she settles down for the night.
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Indestructibles: Baby Night-Night
by Kate Merritt
The Indestructibles series is literally indestructible – chew proof, rip proof and non-toxic – so your baby can “read” (i.e. with her hands and mouth) along with you.
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A Book of Sleep
by Il Sung Na Asim
With soothing text and rich illustrations of a starry night, this is the perfect “book of sleep.”
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The Going to Bed Book
by Sandra Boynton
This book is all about the bedtime routine, with simple, colorful illustrations of animals getting ready for bed and rhymes that encourage early literacy.
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Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
The rhyming in this bedtime classic helps to build listening, language, and literacy skills all while getting your little one ready for sleep.
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How Do You Say Good Night?
by Cindy Jin
By taking its readers to Mexico, Vietnam, Kenya, and beyond, this charming board book teaches little ones how to say "good night" in 10 languages.
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10
Best Books for Bedtime
10
Spotify playlists: Playtime
Banana, Banana...
by GoNoodle
The Happy Song
by Imogen Heap
Wheels On The Bus
by Doggyland
See Full Playlist
Bedtime
Moon River
by Sleepyheadz
Remember Me
by Coco
You Belong with Me
by Rockabye Baby!
See Full Playlist
Help your little one reach his full learning potential by exploring daily routines that include talking, reading, singing and playing.
Know the status of your baby's hearing loss early on. If your baby failed her newborn hearing screening, or she has been diagnosed with hearing loss, Hearing First has resources to help.
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The newborn hearing screening (NHS) is safe, quick and painless and includes one or two gentle tests that your baby can sleep through.
What is a newborn hearing screening?
Most babies have the NHS before they leave the hospital or birthing center. It's a pass-fail test. Make sure you know your baby's test results before you head home.
When is the test done?
It’s important to schedule a re-screening as soon as possible! Make an appointment with a pediatric audiologist.
What if my baby's test results are abnormal?
Hearing is the only sense fully formed at birth. Exposing your baby to different sounds, rhythms and patterns helps her to learn and develop.
At Home
FACT
By the time your baby is born, he's already familiar with the sound of your voice. Reading to your newborn is soothing and encourages brain development.
In the Hospital
FACT
By 23 weeks, your baby can hear sounds from the outside world, such as a dog barking.
During Pregnancy
FACT
Try playing music or singing to your baby as you go about your day.
Parent Tip
Throw a couple of baby books in your hospital bag so you can get in the habit of reading to your baby right from the start!
Parent Tip
Narrate your activities to her, sing while changing her diaper and read a variety of books.
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What you can do to foster early learning
