Auditory processing skills begin to develop in pre-school years. It is never too early to begin stimulating auditory processing and listening skills. If these skills are developed sufficiently in the preschool years, it makes the child more receptive to sound decoding and blending for reading, to language stimulation and extension, and to memorisation of oral and verbal information which is present all around them - particularly in the classroom environment.

Stimulating the right skills puts your child at an advantage, even before they begin with formal reading, writing and learning at school. Children need to learn to 'play' with sounds from a very young age and this needs to be tapped into so that they can apply it easily to the written code (phonics and letters). Once this happens, the child begins to read. Disruptions in auditory processing skills can underlie dyslexia.

Tired of all the fights around homework? Children typically avoid and resist doing their homework if it is difficult for them. Resistance to reading and writing are key signs that auditory processing skills may be weak. Continued homework battles between parents and children can often damage your relationship with your child. Developing auditory processing skills breeds success and confidence with reading, spelling and learning. This will make homework activities easier for your child to tackle!