Multisensory Activities – Auditory Drill

The Auditory Drill supports the students’ spelling and reading. It is extremely important to keep the drill as multisensory as possible. Always ask for difficult sounds or multiple spellings to give students the practice needed to support Dictation.

Auditory drill ideas:

• Fill the sand tray with sand, rice, salt, etc.
• Use shaving cream, pudding, and fingerpaint (any color except red).
• Whiteboards or chalkboards (they can practice “trace and erase” by writing the letter for the sound they hear and then tracing while erasing the letter as they say it again. (cut the fingertips off of the small ‘magic’ gloves they sell at the dollar store. Give each student a special ‘eraser’ to put on their finger, and they won’t get any marker stains).
• Fill freezer plastic bags with fingerpaint, hair gel (dippity-do), colored glue, and seal. Tape the bags to cardboard for stability. (Place colorful scrapbooking paper behind the bag for extra fun.)
• Sand paper: 

  • Give students strips of sandpaper and ask them to trace the letter on the paper, feeling the grit.
  • Provide them with sandpaper that already has the letters painted on it

    • Ask them to ‘find’ the /d/ and then trace the letter as they say it. You will also be able to use starting points and arrows for correct letter formation with this strategy.

• Writing the letters on the carpet, their leg, or the back of another student (they won’t be able to “see” the letters, but it is excellent practice anyway). If you say the letter multiple times, you will be able to watch all of the students form the letters correctly.

Written by Ingrid Hartig

Ingrid is a Master Instructor with Brainspring’s Educator Academy