Audiobooks v real books

[WhatWillSantaBring]

My DD (6) is desperate to read David Williams books. She can read it, but struggles with the unfamiliar vocabulary. We’d read some of the one of them with her, but then she managed to download the audible version (without me knowing- have since fixed the settings which I didn’t know existed!!) and listened to it. Now she’s trying to read another one, but is desperate to get the audible instead. Is listening to it as good as reading it? I’m desperate to encourage her to read and feel like I’m letting an opportunity past if she “cheats” by listening. Or am I a cow and should get off my middle class high horse and be thankful it’s not Fortnite she’s badgering me for?

It's great for her for vocabulary but to help her actually read she'll need to actually read out loud from a book. But other than that, I think that sounds great!

Why don't you read it to her?
To answer your question, no, listening is not as good as reading
""Daniel coauthored a 2010 study that found students who listened to a podcast lesson performed worse on a comprehension quiz than students who read the same lesson on paper. “And the podcast group did a lot worse, not a little worse,” he says. Compared to the readers, the listeners scored an average of 28% lower on the quiz—about the difference between an A or a D grade, he says. "
time.com/5388681/audiobooks-reading-books/

If she goes down the audible route now, she might never find the pleasure of reading.

Audio books are great for car journeys but not something I would use as a substitute for reading. At 6 she needs that challenge to push her reading and expand her skills. Its great shes found a series she loves. Do you read with her? before bed for example? She sounds like she still needs your support, a little time now will make things so much easier for her in the long run.

Thanks all, that’s reinforced my views that I’m doing the right thing to stick to my guns about reading the books first. We do read with her most nights but it’s slow going. Personally I’d rather wait till she’s older before trying these books but hey ho!

My ds loves listening and reading along at the same time. I do struggle to get him to read by himself.

We read books every day (they to me and vice versa), we have a reading hour, we also listen to audiobooks every day. One feeds the other. When my kids first started reading Harry Potter/northern lights they had listened to the books first of all and it was a bridge to the book. It also considerably expands their vocabulary and willingness to loose themselves in complex plots. As they listen they draw, doodle, write...

Or just play

It's great for vocabulary and introducing them to longer narratives.

Please do the audiobooks. Decoding the words on the page is a fundamental but ultimately basic part of what reading is. Following a narrative, exploring uses of language for effect, trying new genres can all be developed by listening to books that are a little beyond her actual reading age.

Do both.

I've used audio books with many children (DS, DGDS and various children I have looked after. But not as a substitute to reading to and listening to them read. Often I have used them for chilren who struggle to read, and are put off because if it.
But I usually had them listen as they read. We always had audio books in the car, and often my DS, and now my DGDs listen as they fall asleep, after they have been read to.