The Ears That Didn't Hear

Jada's ears worked fine. She could hear the TV from across the house. She could hear her friend whisper from three desks away. She could hear the ice cream truck from down the block. The problem wasn't hearing. The problem was LISTENING. When Dad talked, Jada's brain wandered. When the teacher gave instructions, Jada was thinking about something else. When Mom said something important, Jada heard the sound but didn't catch the words. "Jada, did you hear me?" "Huh? What?" This happened every day. Multiple times. Then one day, Jada missed something big. "Where's your permission slip?" the teacher asked. "What permission slip?" "For the zoo trip. I've been reminding everyone all week." Jada's stomach dropped. She'd missed it. The best field trip of the year. That night, she cried. "I LISTENED," she said. "Sort of." Dad sat with her. "There's a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is automatic. Listening is a choice." "What do you mean?" "When someone talks, you hear the sounds. But to LISTEN, you have to point your brain at the words. Eyes on the speaker. Mind on the message." "That's hard." "It is. But let's practice." Dad taught her the two-step listen: Step one: Eyes on. When someone talks, look at them. Not at the window, the phone, or the dog. At them. Step two: Repeat back. When they finish, say what you heard. "So the permission slip is due Friday?" "That's it?" "That's it. It's simple, but it works." Jada practiced. When Mom talked, she looked at her. Really looked. "So we're leaving at 3:00?" Jada said back. Mom smiled. "Yes! You got it." It felt weird at first. Jada's brain still wanted to wander. But the more she practiced, the easier it got. She didn't miss the next permission slip. Or the one after that. Turns out, her ears worked great. She just had to teach her brain to follow along.