Use Audiobooks to Get Your Child Excited About Reading!

When Michael was in first grade he was not interested in stories or reading. We had listened to a few podcasts but audiobooks really changed the game for him.

He was always interested in stories and topics beyond his reading level and audiobooks opened the door to those books and areas of interest. And the fact that he could listen on the go was a bonus. He would listen in the car, while walking around the house, jumping on the trampoline or at bedtime.

Just last week he said to me, “Mom, I love stories.”  

We are HUGE fans in our house and I can’t wait to share these with you. 

We use Audible and Libby to listen to audiobooks or sometimes check out playaways from the library. We use the podcast app on our phones for all the podcasts.

If you’re not using audiobooks yet, I really believe you should start!

Why you SHOULD be listening to stories.

There are so many benefits to listening to stories! Audiobooks and podcasts are great for auditory learners because:

• they model fluent reading,
• build vocabulary
• develop their comprehension skills. 

Listening to stories totally counts as reading!

Your child will learn to love stories and build their creativity and imagination. When you engage with your child in the story you can build their knowledge of story elements.

Ask them questions about the beginning/middle and end and then have them make predictions about what will happen next.

You can discuss the characters, plot, and setting and get them chatting about what they notice as they read. 

Here are some examples of questions you can ask your child.

• How would the story be different if the setting was another place?
• What would the story be like if the characters were animals not people?
• What do you think will happen next?
• What has been your favorite part so far?
• Can you tell me what’s going on in the story so far?

Are you a podcast fan? Have you tried audiobooks with your children or students? I love chatting and sharing about this topic and I love hearing from you! So leave a comment or question and I’ll personally respond to you!