How your baby learns to locate sounds and link them with what they know

Your baby was able to hear before they were born and has been becoming more aware of the sounds around them. They are now beginning to become more aware of the direction that a sound is coming from and will turn their head when they hear a sound. 

Your baby's sense of sound direction

Your baby will have had a preference for listening to voices, and hearing people talking is an important part of them understanding language and the way people communicate.  

Listening helps your baby to understand the people around them, but it is also important in helping them to understand the world.  

Your baby was able to hear sounds before they were born, but in order to think about where a sound is coming from, they need to use information from their other senses and they can only begin to do this after they are born.^[1]  

We work out the direction a sound is coming from by detecting small differences in the time it takes a sound to reach each ear. Your baby will gradually begin to do this by bringing together information from what they see and hear and linking this to the location of the source of the sound.^[1] 

Your baby’s vision is becoming clearer and you will notice that when they hear a sound they turn their head as if searching for the source of the sound. They might not know the direction a sound is coming from straight away yet, but they will know that when they hear something they should look for its source. 

Sounds that tell your baby certain things are happening 

As your baby becomes more able to identify the source of sounds this will help them to understand the world and other people.  

They will be able to listen to someone talking and notice when they are getting closer to them, even when they can't see them. Your baby will begin to be able to link sounds with routine events, so hearing a key in the door and knowing someone is coming home.  

Where's that 'woof'?

Your baby will also listen to understand more about the world around them, they might hear a dog barking and look towards the sound. When you talk to them about what they have heard and what they can see, they will begin to link these things together and build a category in their mind for dogs.  

They will start to anticipate and remember familiar sounds

Your baby will become more skilled at listening to a sound and connecting what they hear with the direction and source of a sound. They will begin to link sounds with something that is about to happen and link particular sounds to objects, people and events.  

References: 

[1] Byrne, E., (2021) How to build a human: What science knows about childhood. London: Souvenir Press.