TRANSITIONS TO COMPLETE EDUCATION

New Hope Charitable Foundation

Thought drives belief. Belief drives behavior.

What people believe about themselves they become.

Following visual input, auditory input is the primary way in which information is obtained. “Auditory pathways” refers to both “hearing” and the ability of the brain to process, or understand, auditory information. There are many aspects to auditory processing that impact learning, including:

Auditory Sequencing – the ability to hear sounds in sequential order.

Auditory Figure-Ground – the ability to pick out or “selectively listen” to a chosen sound when surrounded by multiple noises or sounds.

Auditory-Visual Integration – the ability to integrate auditory and visual information.

And there are yet more. The goal is to become

aware of how each sense, whether visual, auditory,

kinesthetic, or tactile, impacts learning. Once we’re

aware of more than the PHYSICAL sense itself, we

can learn to recognize “processing” issues, or how

the brain is working. By looking beneath the symptoms

of a processing problem, we can determine the true cause.

And because many neuroscientists, the first being Dr.

Mike Merzenich, have proven the brain has “plasticity”

or the ability to constantly learn and grow new neural

pathways, a processing problem can usually be

successfully resolved. Without every sense working

to it’s full potential, the student will not perform at his

or her full potential.

Auditory processing problems affect responding to

directions, lecture comprehension, note taking,

spelling, and a host of other issues, including

language acquisition issues – particularly critical

when so many students are second-language learners.

What this Means for Education

The Reality

It’s estimated as many as 6% of students have auditory processing problems that remain uncovered.

The Difficulty

Hearing screenings in schools rarely cover more than the ability to clearly hear sounds, whereas auditory processing focuses on the ability to comprehend the sounds. While time-consuming, it’s important that students who struggle receive screenings for sensory processing ability.

Best Practices

Many schools are addressing auditory processing. Fast ForWord is “a series of computer-delivered reading intervention products that complement reading and literacy instruction. As Fast Forward is based on neuroscience principles used in a specific schedule (protocol), its positive effects on brain development are long lasting. Fast Forward strengthens the cognitive skills of memory, attention, processing and sequencing essential for academic learning and reading success.”

More about "Fast ForWord"

TOOLS YOU CAN USE

Go to "FastForward" Site

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Awareness * Responsibility * Honesty

NewHopeCharitableFoundation.org

for EVERY child a life of meaning and hope