Audiobooks & E-Books
Overview
Listening comprehension and Decoding are foundational components of reading comprehension and can be supported through the use of audiobooks, digital text-to-speech books, and e-books. When listening to audiobooks or e-books, young learners can benefit from hearing fluent reading and can experience texts that may be too complex for them to decode independently. Using audiobooks or e-books coupled with printed texts has been shown to greatly benefit literacy outcomes for struggling readers, including an increased Motivation for reading, especially for learners with dyslexia and multilingual learners. Audiobooks and e-books also increase access to a wide range of texts, which supports the development of vocabulary and Background Knowledge, as well as overall reading comprehension. While e-books can offer additional interactive features, not all support language development. For example, automated animations may actually distract the learner from the text, whereas text highlighting word-by-word as the story is being read can greatly support literacy development.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how one early childhood educator uses audiobooks as a literacy building activity in her class.
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Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Multisensory Supports Strategies
Communication boards are displays of graphics (e.g., pictures, symbols, illustrations) and/or words where learners can gesture, touch, or point to the displays to extend their expressive language potential.
Creating visual representations such as drawings, diagrams, graphs, and concept maps, whether student or teacher-generated, can help students process abstract concepts, enhancing understanding and retention of information.
Using motions to explain new concepts or ideas supports the ability to process new information and to convey thinking and conceptual understanding.
Music and dance supports young learners in a myriad of ways, including supporting their engagement and motivation, connecting with cultural background, and offering structure during play.
Physical activity and recess in early childhood provides social, physical, and mental benefits to learners.
