Discovering the Benefits of Audiobooks

Have you discovered the benefits of adding audiobooks to your day? Audiobooks can help develop reading comprehension, improve vocabulary and pronunciation, support struggling readers, and foster a love of literature. They give you the ability to listen anywhere and are a convenient way to incorporate more reading into your day.

My Personal Audiobook Journey

I first discovered my love of audiobooks when I listened to the Harry Potter series being narrated by Jim Dale. He brought each character to life with just his voice. Every single character’s voice was unique, and he portrayed them with such emotion. At the time, I used audiobooks to pass the time on a four-hour drive back to my hometown each month. They were a great way to escape into a fantasy world.

Once I moved back home, I reserved audiobooks for once-a-year road trips. Years later, when my children were in elementary school, I became reacquainted with audiobooks on a daily basis. I listened while running errands during the school day, as well as while cooking dinner. I fell in love with all of the eccentric characters of Three Pines in Louise Penny’s murder mystery series. Fredrik Backman’s poignant characters drew me in with emotionally impactful words. Carl Hiaasen’s over-the-top characters and situations kept me amused for hours. These authors, along with countless others, captivated and entertained me during mundane daily tasks.

From Entertainment to Homeschool Education

It wasn’t until we became homeschoolers during the pandemic that I saw the benefits beyond pure entertainment. My youngest son was in second grade and soon found a shared love of audiobooks. By having an audiobook read to us as we followed along in a physical copy, we enhanced our read aloud time.

We curled up on the couch and enjoyed Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary, narrated by Neil Patrick Harris. It wasn’t long until my son wanted to find other books to listen to, outside of our curriculum:

• Morning Routines: We’d start our homeschool day by listening to The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett or Once Upon a Tim by Stuart Gibbs.
• On the Go: Any trip to run errands became an opportunity to listen.
• Winding Down: Sometimes after dinner, we’d listen as we relaxed on the couch or assembled a puzzle. It was a wonderful bonding experience!

One rule I always follow is to never force a book on him.

Even though our homeschooling journey ended after third grade, we still listen to audiobooks together on the way to soccer or school, and while eating lunch on the weekends. We enjoyed multiple books from the Guardians of Ga’hoole series by Kathryn Lasky over the summer before fifth grade. Even now, we listen to the Warriors series by Erin Hunter in eighth grade.

One rule I always follow is to never force a book on him. If we start a book that he isn’t into, we move on to something else. I want listening to books to be a positive experience, not something to dread. I love hearing his reactions of surprise or outrage when something shocking happens in the story. He truly becomes immersed in the stories and empathetic to the characters. I know our hours of listening to audiobooks will have a lasting impact on his lifelong reading journey and love of literature.

---

Three Major Literacy Benefits of Audiobooks

As a reading tutor, I look at audiobooks through an educational lens. Here is exactly how audiobooks support developing minds:

1. Improved Comprehension and Engagement

• Connection: A narrator can bring a story, and its characters, to life for the listener. Their intonation, pacing, and emphasis help the listener to engage with the material.
• Gaining Vocabulary: Exposure to new vocabulary and correct pronunciation of unfamiliar words directly improves a listener’s comprehension. Listeners can hear how unfamiliar words are used in context, allowing them to grow their vocabulary. 
• Vocal Cues: They highlight key elements and deepen understanding. Jim Dale was a master of vocal techniques while reading the Harry Potter series.
• Full Cast Audio: Sometimes listeners might discover that their audiobook is narrated by a cast. Once Upon a Tim by Stuart Gibbs is one such book. Multiple narrators help the listener to distinguish between characters and engage with the story even more.

2. Focus and Attention

Audiobooks offer various ways to hold the listener’s attention. Engaging narration of the story draws in the listener’s focus. Physical books can easily distract some readers. Audiobooks remove this distraction and help the listener to focus only on the story.

• Auditory Learners: They thrive with audiobooks, absorbing and retaining information in a way that suits them best.
• Visual Learners: They can use audiobooks to supplement their reading experience. They can follow along, using the audiobook to keep a steady pace.

3. Support for Struggling Readers

Audiobooks remove the difficulty that dyslexic and other struggling readers have with decoding words. This improves comprehension because they can understand the story without any reading difficulties.

• Audiobooks expose struggling readers to more complex texts that they normally wouldn’t be able to independently read.
• By reducing the sense of frustration and anxiety experienced as a struggling reader, audiobooks allow them to immerse themselves in the story. 
• When a struggling reader listens to an audiobook while following along to the visual text, it creates a multisensory learning experience. This can help them to strengthen word recognition and to grow as a reader.

---

Where to Find Audiobooks

The Public Library

Your library card allows you to borrow audiobooks for free on apps like Libby and Hoopla. Both apps offer a massive selection of titles for phones or tablets, allowing you to take your library anywhere.

• The Downside: Sometimes patience is required when you’re wanting to borrow a title. You may have to wait weeks or even months for a popular title to become available. Additionally, you are only given 21 days to borrow an audiobook. If you need longer, and if there are others waiting, you will still have to return it and put it back on hold.

Paid Subscription Services

If you’d prefer immediate access to any book you desire, purchasing audiobooks might be the best solution for you.

• Subscription Services: These can be a cost-effective way to listen. On Audible or Audiobooks.com, you may purchase a certain amount of monthly credits to be used towards an audiobook purchase. Since you purchase each title, you gain lifetime access to your titles and can listen as often as you’d like. Some services charge a flat fee per month, allowing you to listen to as many books as you want within that time period.
• A La Carte Options: Audiobooks can also be purchased individually on websites like Amazon, Google Play Books, and Apple Books. It’s a good choice for those only wanting one book, or those not ready to subscribe.

Discover the Joy of Listening

From supporting struggling readers to boosting comprehension and vocabulary, audiobooks can benefit listeners of all ages. They have allowed me to make everyday tasks enjoyable, engage with stories and characters, connect with my family, and foster a love of literature in my children. I encourage you to discover the joy of listening in your life!