HearBuilder Auditory Memory Software Program

Do you know a child who has trouble following directions? Or one who can’t remember things he hears?

I do!

William, my 10 year old, has many learning difficulties. One of them seems to be related to auditory processing. (I do not have an official diagnosis of auditory processing disorder, but he is definitely weak in this area.) When I heard about HearBuilder Auditory Memory Software from Super Duper Publications, I was very interested in trying out the program with him.

The program is a game that helps children gradually increase their auditory memory and listening skills. The game involves the player as a secret agent who has to perform various activities in order to stop the villain.

The program is divided into 5 areas. They are:

• Numbers
• Words
• Details
• Closure
• WH Info

After starting the game and clicking his name, the student sees the following screen.

From this, he can choose to go to any of the activities or check his progress in Agent Status. After all the levels of a game are completed, a badge will appear on this screen as well.

 

In the number game, the player is required to listen to a list of numbers, then type them in as the combination. It begins with a sequence of 3 and gets progressively more difficult.

 

 

The words game is similar to the numbers game. A sequence of words is read, and the player must click on the corresponding pictures in the same order.

 

The other games are more challenging and require higher level thinking skills. The details game asks players to select one of the people based on certain facts about them. For example, in the following picture the student might be asked to select the boy that is not wearing a backpack. (This picture is from the first level. They do get more difficult! The instructions are all auditory, of course.)

Another interesting game is closure. In it, the player has to fill in the missing word. It might say “Peanut butter and j..” or “Ring around the r…” The student is given choices and must select the right one.

The last game is the most difficult of all. In WH Info, there is a short factual “case” that is given. The player then has to answer a question about the case. The questions are all WH questions: who, what, when, where, or why.

We had a very good experience with this game. The software ran smoothly with no bugs. The games are engaging. After 6 correct responses in the main games, the player gets to play a reward game that is more fun and less educational.

My son who has difficulty with auditory memory doesn’t love the game, but he definitely likes it better than any of his schoolwork! Lizzie, my 5-1/2 year old, really likes the game and has asked to play it many times. Although this game was designed with the special needs student in mind, it is one that can be beneficial to any student. Neither of my children are anywhere close to completing the entire program. The games become progressively more challenging and higher levels even add in background noise.

You can purchase HearBuilder Auditory Memory Software from Super Duper Publications. The home edition is $69.95.

Disclosure: I received a copy of HearBuilder Home Edition in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

By Kristen H.