The more I listen to them with our kids, the more I appreciate the many educational benefits of Audio Books!
We received some as a gift when my daughter was born, now we have a small collection of stories. They come in handy (especially during long drives over the holidays) and our kids love listening to them.
Of course, nothing can replace the special time that you spend reading to your child – this is ultimately the most valuable time you could invest in your child’s future reading experiences.
However, complementing your child’s storytime with Audio Books simply adds variety to their listening experiences with many educational benefits!
Benefits of Audio Books
- Children engage and use their own imagination to visualize the story without printed imagery in front of them.
- As our children are engrossed in audio books they master the skill of listening – which is critical for learning to read.
- Audio books expose us to different styles of story telling. Many narrators use dramatic expression and a variety of voices which can inspire a child’s own narrative skills and increase their understanding of language.
- Music and sound effects on audio books are motivating for young children to hear.
- Audio books are a great way to introduce different types of stories that your child may not ordinarily enjoy. Eventually, your child may be amenable to longer stories and more complex themes.
- Audio books are a good way to transition more ‘active’ children to storytime. Some children may feel more comfortable keeping their imaginations active even if their legs are confined to the chair or car seat.
- As much as young children love the sound of Mum or Dad’s voice, audio books can give the story-teller at home a much needed break from reading the same stories over and over again (and possibly a few minutes of peace!).
Access to Audio Books
There are many ways to access Audio Books
these days –
- your local library may have a selection of audio books suitable for children
- you can download various titles online
- or if you prefer the old fashioned way, you can purchase audio books at a bookstore or variety store, or online – below are some of the classic stories that are favorites in my house at the moment and more!