They say that more children than ever before are coming into school without having learned to listen.

Increasingly, teachers are complaining that reception children now suffer from a lack of speech as well. This is a worrying trend that affects an increasing percentage of new students but, as many Special Needs teachers know, speaking and listening skills can be improved, often dramatically, through the use of cassette and CD equipment.

The simple storybook for example, encourages such development. Having children listen to a short story, and asking questions afterwards, can help teach them to focus their attention on listening. Storybooks have the added advantage, unlike so many modern interactive methods of teaching, of allowing listeners to "see" with their mind - using their imagination to depict a world otherwise unknown to them.

Some speaking problems (those of confidence and clarity), can be improved by recording children's speech and then playing it back to them. In many cases the ability to speak coherently improves markedly once a person starts hearing how they sound. Many of us will remember the thrill and strange emotion of hearing our own voices for the first time. Very quickly we learnt to speak more clearly, emphasising particular phrases, talking in a more concise, meaningful way. It's simple and it works!

Using audio equipment for speaking and listening in groups or in the classroom can have a huge positive impact on a child's development. That said, there are some important things to consider when purchasing audio equipment for the classroom.

1. Make sure cassette players have a tape counter, and that CD players incorporate a seconds counter. Then you will quickly be able to find any given point in a recording.

2. Make sure that the equipment is fitted with headphone sockets - ours have six (to allow group listening).

3. Is the audio system powerful enough for the classroom - some domestic equipment is fine in the kitchen at home - but not in a classroom. Remember, if you are using the equipment for listening exercises, the sound quality must be acceptable - otherwise the children who struggle to listen will be those who gain least during classroom exercises.

4. Only buy audio equipment that will cope with rigorous use in the classroom. Consider that domestic equipment does not usually have warranty cover for school use.

We like to think that all schools have room for a Coomber, because they are designed specifically for school use.

Typical Coomber Features