Audiobooks discouraging reading?

[gnomeland]

DS1 is 6, on ORT purple.

He has ALWAYS been a nightmare to get to go to bed. Is far too overstimulated, struggles to wind down and switch off. Can't lie still long enough to get sleepy.

We had some success with relaxation tapes and then (when he was bored of that) audiobooks.

However, DH doesn't think that we should rely on these at bedtimes, as we should be encouraging DS to read for himself and audiobooks discourage this and will make him lazy.

I can see his point, but feel that DS's reading is not strong enough to be enjoyable and relaxing. He still has to work quite hard at it so therefore it is not going to help at bedtime.

Am prepared to be convinced either way.

Ideally, I just want a child who loves reading AND lies down and goes to sleep at a reasonable time

I can only imagine that listening to audiobooks has a beneficial effect on independent reading - giving more variety and encouraging children to seek out different authors in the library perhaps. Audiobooks and printed books both have their place for both adults and children, surely? We listen to audiobooks on long car journeys but not at other times really.

When I use audiobooks with my children I offer material that they wouldn't/couldn't read themselves. This means they listen to vocabulary and expressions that they would never find in material that they read themselves and are lying down with dim lights which is more relaxing and less likely to result in them building Lego instead.

I think audio books are a great thing to listen to at bedtime. It lets the children access stories that are maybe a bit more complex than they could otherwise manage (or choose to manage!) and they really get into the story. My DS has listened to all of the Potter books by Stephen Fry whereas he probably wouldn't have picked up the last few books due to the sheer daunting size of them!

I think audiobooks are great, but not a substitute for reading to a child. I read my daughter at bed time for ten minutes and she listens to an audiobook if she wants more stories.

My son did not read independently until he was eight or nine years old. I think you are expecting too much of six year old child who is very tired. Reading at bed time will come when your son is much older and a better reader. Certainly my son was completely off ORT when he started reading to himself.

Audiobooks at bedtime are great. Lets the child drift off nicely.

I have a night owl child and actually just let them read or play quietly until they were sleepy, providing they were still getting up on time. It can be hell trying to get to sleep if you're not actually tired.

I think your dh is completely wrong! "we should be encouraging DS to read for himself and audiobooks discourage this and will make him lazy" I think the opposite is true and audio encourages reading.

Audio IMHO are a very different thing from reading. Both will help vocabulary development etc. A tired child who listens to audio books will find them very relaxing (mine love them esp at bedtime when lights out is earlier than they want.)

BTW we all love the audio books we have in the car. Some of the Roald Dahl have dh and I as captivated as the dc.

My dd1 used audio books a lot from about age 3yo. We found they weren't particularly good at bedtime as she'd stay awake to hear the end but very good for long car journeys. We'd choose books that were just above her reading ability (Famous Five was a favourite) and it really encouraged her to want to read these books so if anything improved her reading.

All mine have wanted to read in bed from about midway through reception, and once they could read books fluently at an interest level they liked, they no longer wanted audio books at bedtime. They still listened to them in the car though.

I think your Dh is very wrong - I have a ds13 who is very dyslexic - we have always listended to Audiobooks and now his English teacher says he writes (well dictates) like a writer , he knows what people want to read and already has a style.

I've noticed audiobooks have helped my dd (5) access books that are far ahead of her normal reading age (reading on her own or being read to). She listened to the Just So Stories and Wind in the Willows for months on audiobook and got familiar with the stories and the vocabulary and the slightly anachronistic language and now asks me to read them to her. The ones she has got familiar with on audiobook are absolutely her favourite stories for me to read to her now.

We have probably read Wind in the Willows 5 times all the way through so I think my experience is the opposite of your DP's fears. The good ones (well read) really excite them about language and because the good audiobooks are well adapted and well read, they grasp where the story is going through the narration long before they would be able to cope with me slogging through all 150 pages of the same book. So as someone as said, they are a great supplement to reading to a child but not a replacement for it.

Also I think they are good wind down tools unless they get gripped and won't turn off until the end.

i think it is better to read to your children at bedtime - it's a lovely calm time and gives them an opportunity to share any issues that have cropped up during the day - and use audio books during the day.

I use audiobooks in my classroom and the children love them. They are in addition to reading aloud and reading alone.

Is reading just before sleep the best time for you to listen to your DC? Perhaps something relaxing and passive is more appropriate for your son.

Evenings tend to go, DS reading, then we read to him, then bed.

I would much rather he did his reading at another time but it just doesn't work.

Mornings are too stressful and after school he just wants to let off steam.

All suggestions gratefully received

We have read to DD (5) at bedtime and then let her listen to an audiobook for the last couple of years. As others have said, she usually listens to books she would find it difficult to read herself. I think the Just So Stories are brilliant, she really loves those. It has done her no harm in terms of her reading as she is a free reader.

Can you get him to read to you whilst you cook tea or something? I understand though, I know its tough fitting in the time especially if you are working and use after school clubs etc.

I love them. I think they help children to appreciate stories and language and to increase vocabulary. A place for both surely?

Another audio book fan here. Although perfectly competent, my DS didn't choose to start reading to himself for pleasure until the very end of year 4/beginning of year 5. Audio books filled the gap - he was still being exposed to the plot structure, character development, sentence structures, vocabulary etc etc etc. At the age of 15 he still chooses to drift off to CDs he's had for years now - I think there's something very comforting about hearing a story over and over again.