Audiobooks for Kids
What Makes Audiobooks So Great?
1. They’re super easy.
No need to carry around a big clunky book. Pop one in when you’re on the road or while you cook together. Have your child listen while she cleans her room or helps with the dishes.
2. They can beef up your little one’s reading skills.
Following along visually while listening can enhance word-recognition ability, while listening alone can expand vocabulary, according to Mary Beth Crosby Carroll, a reading specialist at The Children’s School in Brooklyn, NY.
3. They allow your child to “read” more difficult books.
She’ll be able to delve deeper into complicated topics and listen to better-quality books than she might find at her own level. That exposure strengthens comprehension skills, particularly for children who have reading difficulties, says Crosby Carroll.
4. There’s no stigma.
Struggling readers are often reluctant to read below their level for fear of being picked on. With audiobooks, nobody has to know what they’re listening to.
5. They’re fun!
Well-done readings give the story a more concrete sense of drama. We love Jim Dale’s Grammy Award–winning narration of the Harry Potter series and Stockard Channing’s indignant Ramona the Pest.
Audiobooks bring life and depth to your child’s reading experience. Included in this post are some of the titles we have on CD in the library available for checkout. We also have thousands of audiobooks available through our app that can be downloaded to your device for free.
If you want to keep it old school, consider listening on a Playaway. What is a Playaway? It is a device that doesn’t require download or set-up time and does not need Wi-Fi. Access to powerful digital content is as simple as turning on each device. All you need is a headset or speaker plus a AA battery and you are ready to listen.
