Audiobooks are great fun for kids. The Storyteller takes them on a grand adventure, and they get to delve into their imaginations and bring their own colours and textures along.
Some parents worry that it’s just a lazy version of reading, but there are some really great benefits to listening to audio stories:
1. Anytime, Anywhere
Of course one thing that audio books have over physical books is that your children can enjoy them anywhere. On the bus, around the supermarket, in back of the car, after lights out…
2. Learn New Words
Audio stories are a great way for kids to become familiar with new vocabulary. Whereas a written new word presents a stumbling block to the story and can dampen their reading confidence, in an audio story it can be ignored or assimilated depending on where they’re at.
This will work really well if they’re reading along.
3. Fluency and Communication
Not only do kids hear how new words are pronounced, but they also pick up on the storyteller’s tone, pace, pauses, stresses, and intonations, all crucial in fluency and in being able to communicate their feelings.
4. Better Focus and Attention
Listening to audio stories isn’t quite as “easy” on the brain as watching TV as there are no visual references. There are lot of things to remember as the story progresses, like characters and their traits, places, plot points, the order of events… A greater level of focus is required and regular listening can help improve attention span.
5. Builds Critical Listening skills
Keeping up with an audio story requires analysis, critical thinking, and judgment. All excellent skills for growing humans.
Mystery books are particularly good at getting us to put clues together, guessing at various outcomes. To boost this, you could stop the story at certain points to ask questions like: “Who do you think did it?” and “What do you think she’ll do next?”
6. Boosts Mental health
Just like reading, audio books can lower stress and help calm our minds. And we all feel stress, even our little ones.
7. Encourages empathy
Storytellers can help kids connect with the characters of the story and understand their situation and feelings, helping to develop a their empathy skills.
And there’s always room for more of that in the world.
8. Helps Build A Love of Books
Skillful storytellers can really bring stories to life. Children will find listening to a book on tape an enjoyable and fun experience, even if they’re not keen readers.
That’s why Abigail always tries to make the stories on Stories Aloud as fun and interesting as possible, using lots of voices and accents, adding exciting sound effects and music to match the mood.
Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash