Kid Sounds

A five minute prologue of Chicago Public Radio's How to Talk to Kids sets the stage for the three part October 5th broadcast. To introduce the topic about kids, host Ira Glass interviews fifth graders to find out what they think about how adults speak to them. He asks the kids questions using a short and direct style, keeping the conversation honest and simple. The kids talk about how adults talk down to them; probably Glass has altered his interaction to suit the occasion.

The setting seems to be in a school since the sounds of children talking, people walking and a door slamming shut can be heard in the background. The hollow sound of a big room or a high ceiling is apparent. Kids talk over each other. Sometimes the fading in and out of their voices is natural; sometimes the producers have altered the sounds. But, listening to the kids actual conversations, without later paraphrasing, is refreshing. It keeps it honest. Most say the same thing but in different ways with different inflections. The exception is the use of the the word "like". Similar to "um", it is commonly used by all ages.

Playful music delicately tinkles in the background. Glass speaks of "what is most delicate" when preparing the adult listeners to hear about teens and sex. It is a pleasant preparation.