Most educators, child development specialists, and neuro scientists will tell you that listening is the single most important sensory channel for learning. By listening, children learn the words, the rhythms, the lyricism, the inflection, and the cadence of language. By listening, they also learn about nature and the world around them. Ask a young child what a cow is and many of them will say “moo.” Ask them what a fire engine is and they will respond “whee-oo, whee-oo.”

Being quiet is one of the hardest things to do – at least for me. I think most people have a natural tendency to want to talk to others, and sometimes even themselves! For most of us, talking is much more than just a means of communicating or expressing ourselves. Talking is a way of connecting with others, being members of the world around us, and finding our own unique voice in that world. That’s certainly what it was for my mom who could talk to anyone, anywhere, about