AUDITORY PERCEPTION DEVELOPMENT

(Listening Skills)

3 - 4 YEARS

Auditory Perception is the way in which the brain interprets the messages which it receives through the ears. Auditory Perception is the umbrella term used, and covers several auditory functions which work together to make up Auditory Perception. Briefly, these subsections are:

Auditory Discrimination:
This is the ability to hear similarities and differences in sounds, e.g.
soft, loud, low, high, near, far, etc.

Auditory Foreground and Background Perception:
     This refers to the ability to isolate a particular sound in the presence
     of other sounds. This skill is required in situations where it is
     necessary to listen and concentrate.

Auditory Closure:
This is the ability to hear through to the end of a sequence of
sounds. This skill is obviously important for reading and spelling.

Auditory Memory and Recall:
The ability to remember what has been heard, and recall this
information at a later stage. This skill is required for learning.

Auditory Sequencing:
     The ability to recall what was heard, in the same sequence. This
     skill is required for academic learning (especially for spelling and
     mathematics).

The following
Auditory Perception Developmental Checklist
should serve the following two purposes:

Use the checklist as a guide of auditory development that you should be stimulating, through play or even through daily activities.
Should you find that your child is not developing according to several items on the checklist, it is advised that you consult with a Speech and Language Therapist, General Practitioner (GP), Pediatrician, etc. for further advice.This list is a guide and should not be used for diagnostic purposes.

THREE YEARS (approximately)

Enjoys listening to stories, especially his favourite one over and over
again (patience parents!)

Is able to carry out different commands which are unrelated, e.g.
"Take the cup to the kitchen and bring mommy the cloth".

Understands more prepositions and is able to carry out various
commands with different prepositions, e.g. climb on the chair, now
sit under the table, etc.

Is able to identify the use of objects in pictures, e.g. "Which one do
you eat?"

Answers simple questions (who, what, where?) and replies
appropriately with a word, a sentence or gesture.

Recognises many songs and melodies.

Understands the term "more". e.g. "more apples".

Understands regular past tense forms of verbs, e.g. "She jumped
over the stone".

Is able to understand approximately 900 - 1 200 words.

Remembers three items of a medium length story.

Recalls three numbers, letters or words in a sequence, e.g. "6,4,9"
or "apple, banana, pear".

Is able to repeat a 5 - 7 syllable sentence.

Shows an interest in explanations to why and how questions asked.

FOUR YEARS (approximately)

Is able to listen to long stories but pays more attention to a short
     story and is able to answer simple questions about them.

Remembers four items of a story.

Carries out, in order, a direction / command of three parts such as
    "Pick up the teddy, put it in the box and bring me a story book"
    (some children manage four commands).

Carries out four separate commands using different prepositions: in
     front of, beside, behind and under and understands the following
     prepositions: "between/above/below/top/bottom.

Understand and replies appropriately with a word or gesture to
    questions such as "What do you do when you are hungry?" "Which
    one is longer?"

Is able to understand approximately 1500 - 2500 words.

Comprehends time phrases: "for two weeks, all day long".

Understands irregular plurals, e.g. child/children.

Understands possessives: "It is the boy's truck".

Understands the number three, e.g. "Pass me three balls".

Imitates a 12-syllable, 9-word sentence based on short-term
      recollection.

Repeats two numbers backwards, e.g. Child hears "4,7" and is able
      to say "7,4".

Recalls four numbers, letters, or words, e.g. "9,5,2,9"

Identifies four colours by pointing to and naming them.

Is able to understand sentences which contain dependent clauses,
e.g."If you eat well then you will be healthy. Other dependent
clauses: "because, when, why" .

Click here to play a listening game with your child.