Why Auditory Processing Matters for Reading

Learning to read is a complex task. And even for adults, reading comprehension continues to be essential in virtually every career field. So why is it that so many people of all ages struggle with reading? The most significant reason for reading problems is not a poor memory or “slowness,” instead, it’s weak auditory processing skills.

What Is Auditory Processing?

Auditory processing is your brain’s ability to analyze, blend, and segment sounds. In other words, it’s your ability to manipulate and understand spoken or written language.

So for an individual with weak auditory processing, they may see the word “DESK” written, but when they come across it, they may read it “DEK” because in their brains they cannot blend those sounds together fast enough to read correctly.

Dyslexia Is An Auditory Processing Disorder

If you or your child have a dyslexia diagnosis, this skill becomes even more important. Many people mis-represent dyslexia as a problem with your eyes mixing up letters or words, when in reality it is really your brain’s poor auditory processing that makes reading such a struggle.

Extensive research has been done with individuals with either dyslexia or reading struggles, and across the board, improving auditory processing skills boosts reading ability by a matter of YEARS (in a much shorter amount of time).

Reading Help That Actually Works

Whether you’re an adult who wants to read and comprehend more fully or you have a child that is struggling to learn to read, addressing auditory processing skills is the most powerful way to support effective reading.

Many reading interventions focus on sight-based strategies. And while they are effective for some, many people report that there is no long-term change in reading ability from these programs.

What we do instead is target the auditory processing skill through researched and proven brain training activities. These activities help:

• Struggling readers
• Kids who read below grade level
• Teens who have trouble with reading comprehension
• And adults who wish they could read faster and more fluidly!

Contact us today to learn more about how we help struggling readers and people with dyslexia experience amazing gains in a short amount of time!