Using Audio Books to Support Reading
By: Jennah Watters
Kids today are constantly plugged in. Raised on technology and familiar with music on computers, today's kids naturally look for books on computers. It started out with eBooks, books that could be downloaded and viewed on computer screens. But often that reading was hard on the eyes, and not much different from reading the printed text.
Audiobooks on computer were the next logical move-and have been very successful with all generations of readers. Audiobooks on cassette and CD are already popular with students looking for a new way to experience literature. eAudiobooks are the next step toward bringing this great form of literature to students. Although many of today's students are unfamiliar with cassettes, you surely won't get any complaints if you hand students an MP3 player and a set of headphones.
Audio-supported reading is a proven method that is particularly effective for struggling readers, especially those who are beyond the traditional age of reading instruction. Research shows that reading practice with audio support can improve reading skills by 34 percent when compared to reading practice with print alone. This proven method for increasing reading comprehension and fluency is great for advanced-level readers, too. Texts that were once inaccessible to students are read by an expert narrator with correct pacing, intonation and emotion. As students read along, they get more out of the text than by reading alone and read more total pages in less time.
Teacher and librarian Susan Norman originally thought audiobooks would only be a nice break from reading aloud to students to get some grading done.
"I found myself listening to a story that I had read to six classes a day for the past several years," she said. "New ideas began popping into my head because of the nuances presented by a different reader."
Thankfully, those ideas and revelations also pop into the heads of student readers as they listen to top-notch audio presentations of high-demand literature.
As more students get excited about reading with audio, the demand for innovative and exciting reading material increases. With popular new books coming out each month, it can be hard for schools to keep up. Downloadable eAudiobooks are affordable, easy to manage, and easy to use-and they allow schools to keep up with the ever-changing tastes of today's kids. The audio presentations are the same high-quality ones as those offered on CD or cassette, but the downloadable format allows easy access for today's techno-savvy kids and easy management for schools, which get more for their money with lots of title choices and program flexibility.
Today's MP3 players are the cool accessories, and the devices can store more than just music. Just as many adults listen to books or lectures while working out, students can listen to literature while chilling in their room or walking to class. Today's MP3 players have lots of functions that make listening easy, including resume and bookmarking features. Available at many different price points, schools can buy players that will hold multiple books or buy a few players with enough memory to hold one eAudiobook each.
With downloadable eAudiobooks, you don't have to worry about returns or overdue books, or about having out-of-date titles. There is also freedom to choose for your school's individual needs: download many copies of one title so the whole class can listen to the same title individually, or download lots of different titles for individualized instruction.
Teachers and librarians love being able to work with individual student needs. Audiobooks have always been an excellent way for busy teachers to individualize educational plans. Students can work alone or with small groups, reading literature that is appropriate for both their interest and reading levels without falling behind.
Cathy Nelson, a media specialist at South View Middle School in Minnesota, who used downloadable Audiobooks last year with ELL students, said, "We sat down with each student and discussed what they liked to read and chose a book based on that."
Her students downloaded books to MP3 players and were then able to take them home to listen and read along. Most students read more than one book during the program, a significant increase from previous methods, and the kids "enjoyed having a listening device" to use during the course of the program.
Nelson believes that the audio program is a definite benefit to students.
"It allows struggling readers to be able to read or listen to a book that is [above] their reading level and not be embarrassed," she said.
The students were able to work at their own pace, without worrying about what other students were doing. Slower readers can keep up with advanced students, and advanced students get more out of literature than with text alone.
Nelson said the program "gave students choices" about what they were reading, a luxury that many students do not have in schools that simply cannot afford to keep up with the hottest new reads.
With downloadable eAudiobooks, schools aren't stuck with titles students aren't interested in, and students aren't stuck reading them. By working together and browsing online, teachers and students can agree on books that kids will actually enjoy reading-without worrying about purchasing a title that won't be useful next year. Teachers can even try out new titles that they may be interested in before buying a traditional audio collection of the title.
Jennah Watters is the school publications editor at Recorded Books, www.recordedbooks.com. Recorded Books has been providing high-quality, unabridged recordings of popular titles since 1979. They have recently teamed up with NetLibrary to offer a selection of their titles as downloadable eAudiobooks as part of an Online Library.
