AUDITORY PERCEPTION DEVELOPMENT

Listening Skills

4 - 5 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).

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" .

• Enjoys listening to stories and remembers five items of a story.

• Is able to understand more complex sentences which refer to time phrases, e.g.a whole week, for many years, a long long time ago..

• Knows and is able to use correctly, the opposites big/small, heavy/light, loud/soft, like/unlike, long/short.

• Understands degrees of comparison: small/smaller/smallest, fast/faster/fastest.

• Understands comparatives and superlatives: same/more/less, most/least, several/few, some/many, before/after, now/later.

• Understands all pronouns (e.g. he/she/we/I/they) and contractions (e.g. wouldn't/don't )

• Understands "the opposite of …. is …"

• Has grasped the concept that 'zero' means 'nothing'.

• Is able to identify most coins and paper notes.

• Is able to understand approximately 2 800 - 13 000 words.

• Is able to repeat a 14-syllable sentence.

• Recalls five numbers, letters, or words.