Auditory Processing Games

A 1: SPIN A RHYME

Purpose:

To provide practice in making words that rhyme.

Materials:

Draw two large circles onto a piece of tagboard. Divide each circle into 8 sections. On the first circle print beginning consonant letters, on the second circle print the following word endings: ing, ink, all, ad, ane, oil, ill, ock. Attach a spinner to each circle.

Procedure:

Start by just using the beginning consonant letter spinner. Leave the other spinner on one-word endings, changing the word ending spinner after every 10 spins. Each player takes a turn to spin the first spinner. Player must say the word spun by combining the beginning consonant with the word ending (Tutor identifies the ending). They must then tell if their word is a real word or a nonsense word. One point is scored for each real word. The player with the most points at the end of a designated time wins.

Variation:

Have the players use both spinners after word endings are familiar.

A 2: DO WE RHYME?

Purpose:

To practice listening for words that rhyme.

Materials:

List of rhyming words and non-rhyming words. (See attached list.)

Procedure:

Volunteer reads two words aloud from the prepared list.

Child claps their hands if the two words rhyme and if not, puts their hands flat on the table and waits for the volunteer to read two more words. A star, or happy face, or sticker could be given for each correct answer.

A 3: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Purpose:

To distinguish different sounds

Materials:

Your own voice, tagboard, pictures, bingo type markers/

Cut an 8" x 8" square from tagboard and then divide the square into 2" x 2" sections. Cut out 16 pictures that correspond to sounds you can vocalize and paste them on the playing board.

Procedure:

Have the child listen to your vocalization of the sound and cover the corresponding picture on the game board with a marker.

Example of Possible Sounds to Use

Horn, dog barking, bell, horse whining, car starting up, piano, cat meow, sheep baa, bird chirping, duck quacking, chicken cheeping, rooster cock-a-doodle-doo, cow moo, pig oinking, hands clapping, fingers snapping, drums, tambourine, plane flying over, choo from train, clock ticking, alarm clock ringing, door slamming.

A 4: TREASURE HUNT

Purpose:

Rhyming picture to picture (good for non-readers).

Materials:

Treasure Hunt game board (see diagram) enlarged and transferred onto heavy tagboard, or manila folder Picture cards (see following page) individually transferred onto the tagboard Two markers: two gold play coins, for example.

Procedure:

The first player draws a card. If the two pictures on the card are rhyming words, they move ahead one space. If they don't rhyme, they stay where they are. The first player to reach Finish is the winner.

A 5: SUBMARINE GAME

Purpose:

Rhyming picture and word

Materials:

Submarine game board (see diagram) enlarged and transferred onto heavy

tagboard or manila folder.

Picture/word cards (see following page) transferred onto tagboard and individually cut out.

Two markers; small toys, buttons, pictures of fish, etc.

Procedure:

First player draws a card and decides which of three words on card rhyme with the picture at top of card. If they choose number one, they move marker one space on the game board; if number two, two spaces, etc. The first player to reach Finish is the winner.

Variations:

Make additional cards to meet the needs of an individual child depending on the sounds or words they may need help with.

A 6: SPIN A PIN

Purpose:

Beginning sounds (ending sounds, blends, or vowels)

Materials:

A sturdy plastic plate; a large safety pin (diaper pin); a round-headed paper fastener. Place the paper fastener through the small end of the pin and center of the paper plate. Spread the ends of the fastener behind the paper plate. Be sure it is loose enough so the pin will spin when the plate is placed on a table. Write the sounds the child needs to learn around the edge of the plate.

Procedure:

Child spins the pin and must identify the letter it lands on and says a word beginning with that sound.

Variations:

Follow the same procedure writing ending sounds, blends, or vowels around the edge.

A 7: LETTER SOUNDS

Purpose:

To learn the auditory sound of letters and to listen for the position in a word.

Materials:

Alphabet cards, green circle, red circle, and list of words.

Procedure:

Choose two or three letters to work with and prepare a list of words having those letters at the beginning or ending of each word. Lay one of the letters in front of the child. Place the green circle to the child's left. the red circle to their right, then read the list of words aloud one at a time. Have the child repeat the word and point to the green circle if the letter is heard at the beginning of the word or the red circle if it is at the end.

A 8: ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING AUDITORY MEMORY

Play "1 went to the store and brought some __________." Each player, in turn, names an item, always repeating all items previously named. Can be done alphabetically if desired.

Have the child repeat a series of numbers or words: Say "1-5", "6-9-3", "4-1-3-9" or "dog-book", Rabbit-box-chair", etc.

Have the child close their eyes. Tap out a rhythm with a stick. Have the child tap back the same rhythm.

Give a word such as "sat" and have the child tell you all the rhyming words they can think of. Have the child repeat sentences, verbatim: "A small mountain is a hill."

Repeat tongue twisters: "Betty Batter made some butter. Now if Better Batter made some butter, where is the butter Betty Batter made?"

Play Simon Says: Give directions such as "Simon says hold left ear with right hand". Simon says, "hop on left foot three times, right foot twice and both feet four times."

Take objects from around the house, school: Spoon, tape, paper (to crumple, to tear,) etc. Show the child the objects and the sound they make. Then have them turn around. You make two sounds, and then they tell you what they were, in order. Build numbers up from 2 to 3 to 4, etc.

Bring a "surprise" sack with you. Give clues about what is in the sack. The child must listen carefully to reason from your clues and guess what is in the sack.

Give the child orally a set of directions which they must follow to find the day's activity which you have hidden.

Read a good description of a setting or character from a story. Have the child draw a picture of what you have described. Then reread the description and let them decide if they might want to add something.

Play THUMBS UP:

Read a story and have the child listen for: A particular beginning sound.

A particular ending sound; A particular blend; A color.

The child sits with their thumbs up. When they hear the sounds, they put their thumbs down.

A 9: SHAPES AND SIZES

Purpose:

To follow verbal directions (to differentiate shapes and sizes).

Materials:

Using black, brown, blue, red, green, yellow, and white construction

paper, draw the following on each color:

- 3 circles - diameters 3", 2", 1"

- 3 squares - 3x3, 2x2, lx1

- 3 triangles - 3x3x3, 2x2x2, lx1x1

- 3 rectangles - 3x1-1/2, 2x1, lx1-1/2

Before cutting, cover entire piece of construction paper with clear contact

paper, front and back. The cutting process acts as a sealer.

Procedures:

Using the largest, geometric shapes, ask the child to listen to complete directions, and follow them when the volunteer says "Go".

1. Give me the large white circle. - - - "Go"

2. Give me the white circle and the black circle. - - - "Go"

3. Give me the blue square and the brown circle. - - - "Go"

Directions may become longer and more complicated as the child is ready for them.

Place the littlest yellow square underneath (on top of, next to) the largest blue circle.

Place the shapes in order so that the largest blue square is first, the smallest brown circle is second, and the smallest red triangle is third.

Place a penny on the smallest white triangle.

A 10: SACK OF DIRECTIONS

Purpose:

To follow verbal or written directions.

Materials:

Brown paper bag containing cards on which directions are written.

Example:

- Stand Up.

- Walk to the door.

- Tap your head 3 times.

Or

- Close your eyes.

- Clap your hands 5 times.

- Put your hands on your head.

- Open your eyes.

Procedure:

For following verbal directions:

Child picks a card from the sack. You read the directions to them aloud only once. They do what they have said. Then you pick a card and let them read the directions to you once and you follow them. They must be sure to watch if you are doing the right thing (sometimes make a mistake intentionally).

For following written directions:

Child picks a card from the sack and reads it to themself, either silently or aloud. They must do what they have read. Then you take a turn. Let them see the card too so they can judge if you are doing it correctly.

A 11: NOSE TO NOSE

Purpose:

To practice identifying body parts, auditory processing.

Procedure:

Direct the child to touch body parts, other body parts or have child read.

command cards as able.

nose to knee wrist to ankle

chin to chest fingers to shoulder

elbows to knees foot to leg

ear to shoulder hands to back

hands to lips elbow to stomach

heels to heel wrist to back

A 12: DEVELOPING SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS

1. Direct the child to point above, below over, under and between objects in the room. Repeat with eyes closed.

Example: over the door over your shoulder

below the window above the pictures

under the chair below the chalkboard

between the desks over the wastebasket

under the desk between the books

2. Direct the child to move designated parts in a specific direction.

Examples: Put your head down.

Put your finger up.

Put your fingers under your feet.

Put your hands behind your legs.

etc.

3. Direct the child to move their body in relation to objects in the room.

Examples: Move so that the door is in front of you.

Stand in front of your table.

Move so that you are between two chairs etc.

4. Instruct the child to follow directions such as:

Examples: hop to right hop back

hop to left skip back

hop forward jump forward

A 13: WORD ENDING FAMILIES

Purpose:

To practice end sounds and forming "CVC" words, vocabulary exercise.

Materials:

Laminated sheets with an end sound printed at the top: "at" "en" "og" etc. and several upper-case letters printed below, all of which will form a word when put in front of the end sound. Corresponding laminated sheets with pictures of the words.

Procedure:

Have the child say the end sound. Next, have them say the sound of one of the letters below. Next, they can write the letter (or use a letter tile) in the space in front of the sound and say the word. Do this with each of the letters until they have worked out what all the sounds/words are. Use the pictures to confirm they are correct, and to talk about any vocabulary the child did not know.

A 14: RHYMING PUZZLE CARDS

Purpose:

To practice rhyming words, picture to picture; vocabulary-building.

Materials:

Jigsaw pieces, with pictures and words on them.

Procedure:

Break apart the puzzle pieces and have the child try and put them together, saying the words as they do so.

A 15: SPELL IT

Purpose:

To practice making CVC words; beginning and end sounds; vocabulary.

Materials:

Game boards with three pictures of different objects that are spelt with CVC words on the left-hand side, and three boxes to the right, the middle one of which contains the vowel. An envelope containing the beginning and end sounds.

Procedure:

First the child looks at the pictures and tells what they are. Next, they think about what letters they need to spell these words. They then take a letter from the envelope. If they need it to spell one of the words, they place it on their game board and take another turn. If they cannot use the letter, the next player has a turn. The first person to spell all the words on their card shouts "Spell It!" and wins the game.