RESOURCES

Auditory Memory

Auditory Memory

Auditory memory involves being able to take in information that is presented orally, to process that information, store it in one’s mind and then recall what one has heard.

ACTIVITIES

• Repeat after me – repeat number or word sequences.
• Play “telephone” – stand in a circle with friends or family. Tell a story in the ear of the person to the left. Pass along the story and add another detail to the end. The last person in the chain tells the story.
• Simon Say’s – Give your child 4 verbal directions and have them repeat it back several times. After you have done this have them implement the directions you gave them. For example: Sit down, stand up, open the door and close the door. (adjust the number of directions to what meets your child’s “just right challenge”)
• Alternate Versions
• If you’re on the way to the store, have your child say and remember 3 signs. After a little time has passed, have them repeat the signs. Tell your child what errands you will run that day and have them say it back to you.
• As the day goes on, or as you have completed an errand, have them repeat the list and tell you what’s next.

• Story Time – Tell your child a short story. After the story is complete ask your child question about the story.
• Shopping game – Get a range of around 6 everyday objects – a spoon, a teddy, a bowl, a toy car etc, and ask you child to collect certain objects as they ‘shop’.  You could use a little shopping basket or a bag so they can put the items in. Start at an easy level, say 2 items and as they find this easier move on to 3 then 4.
  • Adult: Can you buy me a spoon and a teddy please?
  • After each go, make sure you return all the objects.  To extend this game, rather than asking for objects in front of the child, ask them for objects from around the house.   For example a tooth brush (so they have to go to the bathroom) or a sock (from a bedroom).  In this way they have to move around the house and remember what they have been asked for.

• Grocery Shopping – Tell your child what groceries you need and have them repeat it. As you continue shopping, ask them to repeat the list or ask them what’s next. *this task can be made easier by giving them a shorter list, or more challenging by giving them a longer list*
• Treasure Hunt – Hide “treasure” somewhere in your house and give a verbal map
  • Example: Go the kitchen door, take 4 steps to the left, and look under the bowl. *This task can be made harder by adding more steps*
  • If you’re on the way to the store, have your child say and remember 3 signs. After a little time has passed, have them repeat the signs.
• Chaining games – Do you remember playing “I went to the market and I bought a …….” ? Well, this is a chaining game.  You take it in turns to add a piece of information to a list and each turn you have to recall the list in full.  To keep it interesting you can think of items in different categories:-
  • I went to space and I saw…..
  • I went to the zoo and I saw……
  • I went to the park and played on….
  • You can also add another element to these games by adding a description to your item. So rather than just seeing a tiger at the zoo, you could see a tiger with stripes. Instead of just seeing a monkey, you could see a monkey eating a banana.
• Expanding sentences – This is similar to chaining games, but you add information to each other’s ideas.  You could make some interesting stories.  Again, when it is your turn you have to recap the sentences that has been generated so far and then add a new pieces of information
  • “I played Minecraft.”
  • “I played Minecraft on Saturday”
  • “I played Minecraft on Saturday and built a house out of sandstone”
  • “I played Minecraft on Saturday and built a house out of sandstone and a creeper blew it up!”
• Remembering parts of a story – When you are reading with the child, before you turn the page over you can ask specific questions about the page you have just read.  What was the boy’s name? Where did they travel to? What did they forget? etc This is a great activity as it also helps the child learn how to extract key pieces of information.
• Recall of a spoken sequence – List items and see if the child can remember them.  Start at an easy level, for example 2 items and then gradually increase.  You could try
  • numbers       e.g.  5, 1, 6, 9
  • colors            e.g.  red, blue, yellow, green
  • animals         e.g.  cat, dog, fox, sheep etc.
  • You could extend this and when you go shopping ask the child to remember a few items that you need e.g toothpaste, apples and bread.  Then as you walk around the shops they have to remember and collect their items.
• Broken telephone/ whispering game – If you have a few people, you could play a game of broken telephone.  One person thinks of a sentences and whispers it to the person next to them.  This continues until it gets back to the first person.  The sentence is then said out loud and you compare it to the original to see if it has been changed.
• Remembering a specific item – You could ask the child to remember an item at the start of an activity and then ask them what it was at the end.  This requires them to remember over time.
• Orienteering/ treasure hunt activities – Try giving the child instructions to find a hidden object.  Again, initially you could give instructions one at a time, but as they improve you could give 2 or 3 instructions together.  This could be made very motivating if you hide a treat or favorite toy!
• e.g.  “Go to the kitchen door, take 4 paces into the kitchen and look under the bowl”.
• Taking messages – If there is another adult or child available, you could ask the child to take a message to them.  For example “Tell your brother tea is ready and he needs to come downstairs” “tell dad there is a letter for him on the table” If necessary you can let the other person know the message so they can help the child remember if they have difficulty.
• Drawing to instruction – You could encourage your child to draw a picture and give them directions to follow.  You can also turn this activity round and get the child to tell you what to draw and you then have a great language activity! You could describe something simple like a house, or a treasure map – whatever the child is interested in.  You can always draw the outline and just get the child to put on specific details.
  • e.g. draw a square for house and ask the child to put on a green door on the left, then maybe 2 blue windows at the top etc  Again you can increase or decrease the length of the instruction for the child. So have a try!  Remember to start at an easy level and gradually make it harder.  Also find strategies that help the child and encourage them to use them in the games

APPS

• More Fun With Directions | iOS
• Following Directions Game | iOS
• iMimic (Simon style game) |  iOS
• Match Sounds: Audio Puzzle | iOS/Android
• Audio Memory-Brain Game | iOS/Android
• Sound Matcher | iOS/Android

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