05/31/2026
🌟 Listening & Spoken Language (LSL) Strategy Spotlight: Auditory Closure 🌟
What it is:
Auditory Closure refers to the ability of a listener to decode information that was not heard completely or was distorted in some way and to fill in the missing information.
What to do:
• Begin a song, rhyme, or sentence and then stop and look expectantly at the child and wait for them to fill in a verbal response.
• An adult can change a question into a statement to encourage a child to respond. For example, when looking at photos, “Who is that?” becomes “I see. . .”.
Why it matters:
Auditory closure affords the adult opportunities to informally assess the child's expressive language skills. This strategy helps children use contextual cues to fill in missing information, strengthening listening comprehension and expressive language skills in everyday conversations and challenging listening environments. It also encourages more natural, conversational interactions by reducing excessive questioning.