Children and Audiobooks

When my son was three years old, I gave him his own CD player.  We set up a shelf in his room that held all his books that came with CDs.  When he wanted a little quiet time, he could go into his room, grab a book and put on a CD.  It was perfect for those times when he wanted to rest but he didn't want to take a nap. And for when I wasn't available to read to him.

There has been a lot of research on the importance of reading to children.  When I worked at the public library, parents would ask me if it was okay to let children listen to audiobooks.  Absolutely!!! Especially CDs that accompany books! In this way, children can follow along in the story while listening to it.  Children learn in different ways and not every brain processes in the same way.  For some children, it can be extremely helpful to be able to follow along in a book while listening to a story being read out loud.

Another leader in the children's books field, SCHOLASTIC, has a nice article on this very subject.  Find it here.

Another thing that I love about audiobooks is that it teaches children to LISTEN.  This is a very valuable skill.  About a year ago, I started my son on SPARKLE STORIES.  This wonderful subscription service features downloadable stories by a former Waldorf teacher.  These stories don't come with books.  They are engrossing tales that celebrate the joy of storytelling. My son loves them!  SPARKLE STORIES recently started a free podcast on iTunes that I highly recommend.  My son is now 5 and because of his experience with SPARKLE STORIES, he can now sit quietly and listen to a story without even having a visual aid.

I recently purchased a copy of THE BAREFOOT BOOK OF GIANTS, GHOSTS, AND GOBLINS CD set for my son. It arrived about a week ago.  Yesterday, he was home sick and I offered him the option of watching television as a special treat.  He didn't want to.  He preferred to lay in his bed and listen to this audio CD.  The accompanying book is out-of-print so all we have is the CD.  It kept him completely engaged for HOURS!!!   The item is currently on sale for $8.99 and probably won't be reprinted so grab it now.  I highly recommend it!

Also, the very first book/CD combo that my son had in his collection was ANIMAL BOOGIE.  His godmother bought it for him when he was 2 from a Barefoot Books Ambassador at a street fair.  That was the book that started it all for us! 

One of the things that I think Barefoot Books really excels at are their books with CDs.  They pick wonderful storytellers and musicians that really enhance the stories.

If you want to see how your child does with audiobooks, try heading to your local library and check a few out.  As with everything, it may take a couple of times for your child to engage with an audiobook.  Children have to learn the skill of listening just like everything else. But the rewards are infinite!!!

(I am a Barefoot Books Ambassador.)