Audiobooks for Summer Reading

Just about every summer learning post will discuss the importance of summer reading. This one will as well! Summer reading is not only fun but yields great benefits for our children. However, to provide a twist, I want to highlight the benefits of audiobooks.

I’m often asked, “Do audiobooks really have much benefit?” My answer: Yes! Yes! Yes! Audiobooks are a great way to boost your child’s literacy skills. Many children don’t have an interest in regular reading, so it makes summer reading a challenge. Audiobooks provide way to have your child to engage with stories in a different way. This allows for the listener’s imagination to step in, picture the scenes, picture the characters, and connect with the story.

Here are my Top 5 benefits for listening to audio books.

1. Audiobooks improve attention and focus. When your child is listening to audiobooks there are a lot of details to remember. There are the characters, the plot lines and the little details required to have a full picture of what is occurring. The narrators voice often captivates the listener and it helps to shape their attention and focus.
2. Audiobooks build critical thinking and comprehension skills. There is a lot of processing going on with audiobooks. Especially as we get into young adult literature. The listener has to be listening and simultaneously processing details in order to make a mental picture and gain a proper understanding of what is occurring.
3. Audiobooks improve vocabulary. Audiobooks, especially those that are above a child’s reading level, but not their level of understanding, introduce them to more mature vocabulary that can then be added to their speaking and writing vocabulary.
4. Audiobooks help in the understanding of emotions. When narrators read audiobooks, you can sense the emotion in their tones. Whether it be their depiction of empathy or humor, it adds meaning for our young ones, and helps them to understand and in future recognize emotion and mood in literature.
5. Audiobooks are fun and great for the mood. Audiobooks can be calming and reduce stress in our children and in us! They provide an opportunity to get lost in another world, to have a laugh, to learn something new, or just enjoy a good story.

​Children can listen to audiobooks everywhere. Facilitate your child’s listening by adding an audiobook player to their tablet or phone. Happy Listening!