Literacy is use in the sense of 'ability to read, write, speak, and listen.’ As audiobooks gaining recognition, research suggests that audiobooks can support in the development of literacy skills especially in students who struggle in reading, with learning disabilities, have ADHD or dyslexia.

 

Supporting Literacy Development at Home and at School

Evidently, audiobooks are enjoyable and convenient for both kids and adults. But then people doubt that it can help early readers develop their literacy skills. There are parents and educators of young readers concern that audiobooks may prevent children from learning to read in text form. But education researchers believe that using audiobooks enhance or support students’ learning process. 

Listening is an opening of learning, including reading and active listening. Young readers able to listen to longer books than able to read by themselves. Build listening skills on the story have ability to focus on written text.

Having students regularly listen to audiobooks with sustained focus can also help build phonemic (different sound) and phonological understanding. In addition, students may do other stuffs while listening to audiobooks as with written books, which is easier to pay attention to the content. 

Listening to audiobooks as a family or as a class can be a wonderful way in connecting with each other and to introduce topics of discussion.

 

Benefits of Audiobooks for Early Readers

Listening to good audiobooks while following along on the page showcase:

  1. Focus
  2. Develop fluency (the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression)
  3. Support decoding and analysis
  4. Growth in comprehension (supports understanding of letter-sound communication and the pronunciation of difficult words) 
  5. Expanding vocabulary and background knowledge
  6. Connection and engagement

Audiobooks develop readers to visualize what is happening in the story, understand the message content, use critical thinking skills, and make connections to what they already know. 

Listening to different narrators exposes students to a variety of dialects and accents. Audiobooks can also cultivate educational independence or confidence. Students allowed to control the audio speed at their own pace, when to start and stop, which audiobooks to listen according to their own interests, and more.

 

Audiobooks and Literacy Review

According to Reading Partners, there are other ways that students can grow their literacy skills. Engaging with literature and informational texts using audio is an excellent way to build listening skills, develop fluency, practice comprehension and critical thinking, expand vocabulary, and have positive experiences around reading.

A literature review conducted, provided an overview of research exploring the role of audiobooks in supporting children’s literacy both at home and in the classroom. This outlined findings from Reading Partner tenth Annual Literacy Survey relating to children and young people’s engagement with audiobooks in 2020 and beyond.

Now, research shows that audiobooks can use to support children’s learning. From a literary perspective and through collaborations with new authors, introduced new possibilities in traditional literary publishing.

The help of teachers make audiobooks to support children’s literacy in the classroom. Readers can listen to audiobooks anytime and anywhere as a family!