Environmental sounds are often the first shared reference points between a child and the world around them. A plane passes overhead and a toddler looks up. A garbage truck brakes and they freeze, listening. These moments are more than curiosity. They are openings for language.
If you’ve ever seen a child scan the sky after hearing a plane, you’ve watched perception turn into attention. Before my son’s language burst, one of his favorite words was “whoosh,” our shorthand for airplanes. He couldn’t yet say “plane,” but he could participate in the experience. That one word – “whoosh” – became an invitation to join in what he noticed.
Environmental Sound as Early Literacy
We often think of reading and music as early literacy. Environmental sound is an essential part of literacy for children, too.
When an adult labels a sound – “vroom,” “beep beep,” “tssss” – they are doing more than entertaining a child. They are linking sound to a source and an experience. Over time, playful sound effects transition into formal vocabulary. “Whoosh” becomes “airplane.” “Beep beep” becomes “bus.” Imitation comes first then the word follows.
These everyday sounds are ideal for language building because they happen in real time. A child hears the door slam and turns. The phone rings and someone answers. Wind chimes move and make noise when the air shifts. In each case, sound signals something happening in the world. Naming it helps the child build a mental map between what they hear and what it means.
This is the beginning of perceptual awareness – not just hearing, but recognizing.
Building the Habit of Noticing
Toddlers are natural listeners. Cars, planes, animals, a phone ring, footsteps – all of it captures attention. When adults pause and name those sounds, they reinforce something subtle but important: noticing is worthwhile.
Music education later provides children a basic vocabulary for music. They learn to identify music in terms of moods, feelings, or character traits – like calm, excited, tense or gentle. That skill doesn’t emerge suddenly in a classroom. It starts with those earlier shared experiences involving sounds.
The language of music is often taught intentionally. The language of everyday sound is usually left unspoken. Yet both shape how children interpret their environment.
When a toddler says “whoosh” and points to the sky, they are not just making a noise. They are practicing translation – turning a perception into an expression. When children can translate what they hear, they are better able to communicate what they notice, what they enjoy, and even what feels like too much.