One of the main difficulties that face young learners with dyslexia is difficulty in hearing the differences between sounds that are very similar. While reading, our brains turn letters and words into sounds. However, if our brain cannot “hear” the difference between RUN and BUN, then it will also not be able to create the orthographic map that allows a child to read those two words. As far as their brain is concerned, there is no difference between those two words.
Fortunately, auditory discrimination is a skill that can be improved through practice. Many students improve through classroom exposure to phonemic awareness activities. However, a large number of students may need additional support. They come into school with a brain that is not quite developed for auditory processing as other children. This can be due to issues during labor and delivery, not being exposed to many sounds during childhood, hearing difficulties, dyslexia, or many other reasons. However, with practice, a child’s ability to hear the difference between two sounds can be improved.
The Power to Teach is currently working on developing free tools that can be used to help improve a student’s ability to read. We have just completed the first version of our auditory discrimination quiz that young people can use to practice their auditory discrimination skills. This version of the quiz uses animal sounds. Later versions will incorporate musical tones and then actual words sounds and finally complete words. By practicing a few minutes a day with these quizzes, the expectation is that student’s ability to tell the difference between sounds will improve. Ideally, this would also have a follow on effect in regard to reading.
Please take a few minutes to check out the quiz and then have your students take a few shots at it. Have them try it out a couple of times a week and once they have it mastered they will be ready for the next set of exercises which will be coming soon!