A free 3-minute listening check that shows where to start
Hearing the sounds in words is a ladder: the start of a word, rhymes, then every sound. Do this check together. It takes about three minutes. Your child does not look at the screen: you say the words, and your child answers.
How to do it: do not teach and do not correct. Just listen, and tap what your child could do. Nothing you tap is sent anywhere.
Say: “Which word starts like sun: sock or map?” Say each word clearly, once. Tap each one your child gets right.
Say: “Which word rhymes with cat: hat or pen?” Tap each one your child gets right.
For the first three, say the three sounds slowly, one second apart (sounds, not letter names), and ask: “What word is that?” For the last three, say the word and ask: “What sounds do you hear?” Tap it only if your child says all three sounds.
To a young child, “cat” is one lump of sound. Nobody hears that it is made of three small sounds until someone shows them. It is learned, like riding a bike, and many four- and five-year-olds cannot do it yet. It also comes in a usual order, from big pieces to small ones.
It is not a diagnosis, it is not a hearing test, and it is not a test for dyslexia. If your child often does not seem to hear you, asks “what?” a lot, or has had many ear infections, it is worth asking the doctor about a hearing check. If your child is six or older and still cannot do the first part, tell their teacher what you saw and ask what the school has noticed.
More help: Why can’t my child blend sounds? A free check · My child knows the sounds but cannot blend
