Attention, memory, and executive functions are important cognitive skills needed to process and formulate verbal information. These three skills are highly integrated and must be intact for learning to occur.

In simple terms, attention guides our senses and our thoughts to what's most important. Attention must sometimes be focused, sometimes be shifted from one stimulus to another, or sometimes be divided between multiple stimuli or thoughts. Listening to somebody telling a story is one form of focused attention. Writing notes while listening to a lecture is a form of divided attention.

It is quite common to see children who have not been labelled with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with handicapping listening attention problems. These children interpret and learn very little verbal information in social or academic settings. This prohibits the child from acquiring the vital content that is necessary for success. Intervention has proven highly effective at developing normal listening attention skills in children.