If you’ve ever worked with a student who says, “I hear just fine,” yet consistently misses pieces of what’s said in class, you already know how sneaky auditory discrimination challenges can be.  

This isn’t about hearing — it’s about the brain’s ability to tell the difference between sounds, especially when they’re similar. It’s one thing to detect a sound. It’s another to know whether you heard ship or chip.

Auditory discrimination is like a muscle — and for our students who wear hearing aids or cochlear implants, that muscle needs regular workouts to stay strong.

Why This Work Matters More Than Ever

Many of our DHH students are expected to access their education through spoken language — and yet, once their hearing technology is fitted, that’s where support often ends. Families assume that their child's hearing has been “fixed”, but listening through technology is like trying to run underwater — it takes energy, endurance, and training.

Even students who “test well” in quiet rooms may struggle once noise, distance, and cognitive load kick in. That’s why we can’t afford to skip this step. Whether you’re an AVT or not, you can — and should — be intentionally strengthening your student's (or your child's) auditory discrimination skills.

What Is Auditory Discrimination — Really?

Auditory discrimination is the brain’s ability to tell the difference between sounds that are similar — bat and pat, ship and chip, seat and sheet. It’s not about volume; it’s about fine-tuned listening.

For our students with hearing aids or cochlear implants, that’s hard work. Their brains are interpreting sound through technology, and it takes energy, stamina, and training. Without consistent practice, that “listening muscle” won't strengthen — even if they “hear well enough.”

This is why auditory discrimination isn’t just an add-on; it’s part of literacy, language, and classroom success.

Why You Can’t Skip This Step

Many people assume that once a child has hearing aids or implants, their listening will automatically improve. But research — and classroom reality — tell us otherwise. Students need structured practice to:

• Reinforce neural pathways for sound distinction and word recognition

• Improve comprehension when words sound similar or are spoken quickly

• Build cognitive endurance to handle long listening tasks

• Develop repair strategies when they mishear something

Without targeted support, even bright students can look like they’re “not paying attention” — when in fact, they’re drowning in auditory overload.

STEPS TO SUCCESS

Start with the Foundation: Access and Verification

Before we jump into therapy activities, we must ensure the basics are in place.

1. Check access with the Ling 10 Sound Test.

Always start with a quick "Listening Check" (I personally prefer to call it a "Hearing Check" because if a student misses one of these sounds, it's generally not because they're not listening, but because they can't hear the sound.)

The Ling 10 Sound Test includes these phonic sounds:

/m/ – moon, /n/ – nose, /u/ – blue, /ʊ/ – book, /ɑ/ – father, /e/ – day, /i/ – key, /ʃ/ – shoe, /s/ – sun, /z/ – zebra

The "Ling 10 Sound Test" represents the entire range of speech sounds used in English — from the lowest pitch your voice produces to the highest, softest sounds that carry crucial information for understanding speech. The Ling sounds span from about 250 Hz to 8000 Hz — which covers nearly all frequencies important for speech understanding. When a student can’t detect certain Ling sounds, it often points to an equipment or mapping issue, not a listening problem. If you are finding that your student can't identify one or more of the sounds in your listening check, loop in your audiologist or implant team and have them check the programming of your student's hearing aid or cochlear implant.

2. Test without visual cues.
Have the student face away or use a barrier. If they can see your lips, you’re testing speechreading, not hearing.

3. Verify hearing assistive tech at a distance.
If your student uses any type of personal microphone to help them hear at a distance, this is an easy way to make sure the microphone is working. Step out of arm’s reach — or even out of the room. The mic test only counts if the student can’t otherwise hear you.  This allows you to double dip your quick assessment - it confirms that the mic is working as well as their hearing aids/CIs.  If your student can't hear through their personal mic, then get close and retest, allowing you to troubleshoot where the real issue is.

ACCESS THE LING TEST IN THE TEACHING TOOLBOX

Warm Up That Listening Muscle

Listening takes energy. Our students face listening fatigue — that mental exhaustion from constantly decoding speech. Start each session with a short auditory warm-up — just 5 minutes of structured listening practice.

Then, layer on the complexity gradually:

• Start in quiet, then introduce distance.

• Add background noise (a fan, soft music, classroom chatter).

• Finally, vary speakers — male/female, peers, teachers.

Think of it as going from walking to jogging to sprinting. The muscle only strengthens when it’s challenged — but it has to be built safely and slowly.

Minimal Pairs: The Smallest Change with the Biggest Impact

Minimal pairs — words that differ by one sound (coat/goat, fan/pan) — are the bread and butter of auditory discrimination training.

Here’s how to make them effective and engaging:

1. Start simple: Say two similar sounding words, or one word twice.  Ask, “Did I say the same word or different words?”

2. Add a layer: Say one word and have them repeat it back.

3. Use different voices: Do the same exercise with different speakers; male/female/child/adult

4. Mix environments: Classroom, hallway, cafeteria, car ride.

5. Include real-life vocabulary: Heat/seat (science), tide/time (ELA), desert/dessert (life skills).

Minimal pairs are quick, measurable, and fun. You can easily collect data while also building stamina and awareness.  The Online Itinerant has multiple activities for practicing Minimal Pairs.  Pro Tip: For older students, skip the visuals and go auditory-only. The challenge will feel like special advanced training, not “baby work.”

CHECK OUT THE ONLINE ITINERANT'S MINIMAL PAIR ACTIVITIES

Beyond Words: Integrate Meaning and Context

Once single-word discrimination improves, start building comprehension:

• Move to phrases (red hat/bed hat)

• Use short, silly sentences — nonsense words force active listening

• Read short passages aloud and have students flag words that didn’t make sense

This step builds metacognitive listening — helping students realize, “I didn’t catch that; I need clarification.” That awareness is a life skill and a cornerstone of self-advocacy.

CHECK OUT THE ONLINE ITINERANT'S TRAINING "BUILDING SPEECH PERCEPTION SKILLS DURING ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION" 

Add Real-World Relevance

Your quiet therapy room doesn’t reflect the chaos of a real classroom. So recreate it:

• Practice in different rooms with background noise.

• Have multiple talkers — peers, teachers, or even a parent over Zoom.

• Incorporate vocabulary from their current lessons.

Use tools like the Functional Listening Evaluation (FLE) and Auditory Staircase (both in The Professional Academy) to document performance in quiet vs. noise, near vs. far. These results are gold for IEP meetings and help teams understand the student’s real-world listening profile.

GET THESE ASSESSMENTS

Keep It Playful and Purposeful

Listening drills don’t have to feel clinical. I like to say, “We’re going to the listening gym!”

Try these quick transitions and engagement tricks:

• “I Spy” or “Mystery Word” games using auditory cues

• Short listening “intervals” followed by quick movement breaks

• Seasonal listening themes — fall leaves, holiday sounds, spring sports

• Visual reinforcers like charts or stickers showing “auditory gains”

When listening practice feels light and joyful, students want to keep going.

Track, Reflect, Celebrate

Always collect data — and share it with your students.

• Track correct responses or scores from the Auditory Staircase.

• Chart progress so they can see their own growth.

• Reflect together: “Look how much faster you caught those sound differences!”

Then, tie it directly to IEP goals — for example:

Student will identify and correct auditory discrimination errors during academic discussions with 80% accuracy, as measured by teacher data and observation.

When students see success, they feel empowered — and you’re reinforcing self-advocacy right alongside listening.

Want a training to learn more?

This entire blog came straight from a recent Tuesday Hacks session — where we unpacked auditory discrimination step-by-step and explored the tools inside The Online Itinerant Professional Academy.

Inside the Academy, you’ll find:

• The Auditory Training Toolkit (including the Auditory Staircase, Ling 10 Sound Test, and Minimal Pair PowerPoints)

• The masterclass Building Speech Perception Skills During Academic Instruction by Julia West (co-creator of SPICE for Life)

• Ready-to-use seasonal auditory activities for every grade level

• The Functional Listening Evaluation (FLE) template and mini-training

You can catch the replay — or get some other tricks — on YouTube .

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE ONLINE ITINERANT CAN SUPPORT YOU.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be an AVT to Build Strong Listeners

Here’s the truth: auditory discrimination work isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress, awareness, and intentionality.

You already have the skills to make this happen — because you understand your students, their environments, and what access truly means.

Every five-minute listening warm-up, every minimal pair, every “try again” moment strengthens their access to the world around them.

And that’s what makes this work worth every minute.

Don’t be afraid to start small — just start.
The auditory muscle grows one sound, one word, one confident listener at a time