Auditory Memory

Memory is the retention of information over time. There are several types of memory. Auditory memory involves being able to take in information that is presented orally, to process such information, store it in one’s mind and then recall what one has heard. Basically, it involves the skills of attending, listening, processing, storing, and recalling. There are two kinds of auditory memory: Short-term auditory memory is the ability to recall something heard very recently, while long-term auditory memory is the ability to remember something heard some time ago.

In her book Learning Disabilities: There is a Cure, educational therapist Addie Cusimano states that a weakness in auditory memory can have serious consequences in the realm of learning for students. Because students with auditory memory weaknesses pick up only bits and pieces of what is being said during a classroom lecture, they make sense of only little of what is said by the teacher. Afterwards they are able to recall only a small amount or none of what was said.

“Students with auditory memory deficiencies will often experience difficulty developing a good understanding of words, remembering terms and information that has been presented orally, for example, in history and science classes,” says Cusimano. “These students will also experience difficulty processing and recalling information that they have read to themselves. When we read we must listen and process information we say to ourselves, even when we read silently. If we do not attend and listen to our silent input of words, we cannot process the information or recall what we have read. Therefore, even silent reading involves a form of listening.”

Research also suggests that students with spelling problems have deficits in auditory memory skills.

Audiblox is a system of cognitive exercises, aimed at the development of foundational learning skills such as concentration, spatial orientation and number concept, visual and auditory memory, and verbal comprehension. Audiblox can be applied one-on-one or in a group.