Are Audiobooks good?

7 replies

User1437957 · 29/01/2023 22:55

Hi my child aged 9 has really started loving reading along to audiobooks. She is currently reading what Katy did but prefers to listen to audiobook while she follows along on the paper book.
she has been doing that for a couple of months now. Today my friend told me she should be reading herself and that this is counterproductive. I am not sure what to think. She understands the story and is reading along but just prefers to hear it too as she finds it more relaxing.

OP posts:

AndyWarholsPiehole · 29/01/2023 23:03

She enjoys reading and that's all that matters. Let your DD continue as she is.

UsingChangeofName · 29/01/2023 23:32

It's not counter productive at all.
One of my dc always loved audio books. She did (and still does as a 24 yr old) read books as well, but she would always have a set of audio books on the go and that is what she used to borrow from the library and what she used to ask for for birthdays and Christmas.

In 6th form it was discovered she has a slow auditory processing disorder. She went on to have special equipment at University as it was found that she processed much better by listening and re-listening to text than she does by reading it.
In the growing up years, she still gained hours upon hours of pleasure (and probably some knowledge along the way) from audio books.

Redshoeblueshoe · 29/01/2023 23:35

I think anything that encourages children to read is a good thing. Usingchangeofname - that's interesting

Original poster

User1437957 · 30/01/2023 21:36

Thank you, I will not intervene and let her enjoy

OP posts:

Littlemountainhum · 30/01/2023 21:42

She’s still gaining valuable skills like comprehension, expanding her vocabulary, learning literature and history etc.

Original poster

User1437957 · 30/01/2023 23:04

Thank you @Littlemountainhum I just got confused that she would not be gaining as much as she would from reading herself.
She seems to be comprehending texts which she otherwise would find too challenging and not read them at all and couldn’t read even a few months ago.
she has ‘read’ listened to Anne of Green gables before this.

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dystylam · 05/02/2023 10:43

Utter rubbish that it's counterproductive!!!! Keep letting her listen. What Katy did and Anne of Green Gables are a great ideas - am trying to think of classics for my DD as well

Flip