Did you know that listening to an audiobook can help a child build literacy skills? Students can develop reading skills such as decoding and comprehension, as well as critical thinking by listening to audiobooks. By engaging in listening skills readers enhance their ability to process information and build a larger vocabulary. For those reluctant readers or those learning a different language, audiobooks can improve comprehension skills and introduce new words in context, improving both understanding and retention.

Audiobooks build crucial listening skills for children. They build and enhance literacy skills such as vocabulary, language acquisition, pronunciation, phonemic awareness, and comprehension skills that boost test scores.

Another literacy skill that can be improved by listening to audiobooks is fluency. Reading fluency is the ability to accurately read out loud at a reasonable pace with expression. The more often a child hears fluent reading the more likely they are to develop these skills.

Listening to text rather than reading it frees a child from having to decode words. Therefore, they can focus on building an understanding of the text. This is a fundamental skill to becoming a good reader.

Sometimes parents and teachers question whether listening to a book is the same as reading. “When a child struggles to decode, the rest of the process erodes very quickly”, says Kimberly Rue in a 2023 article on Edutopia’s website. The pre-k through 6 grade librarian is an advocate of using audiobooks with struggling readers. Her suggestion to take the pressure off a child who is having trouble decoding is to pair a book with the audiobook. Allowing the reader to hear and decode at the same time gives them a measure of success they don’t feel when trying to tackle the text alone.

Audiobooks allow readers to experience more difficult books. They are able to delve deeper into topics they are interested in and listen to books written at a higher reading level. This strengthens comprehension skills and vocabulary for all readers, but especially for those who have difficulty reading.

The library has a few options for you and your reader to access audiobooks. Through the Traverse des Sioux Library System you are able to access ebooks and audiobooks through the Libby App. Libby is available on any Android and Apple device. We have a collection of audiobooks on CD that can be checked out of the library for three weeks at a time. As the Youth Services Librarian, I have recently curated a collection of talking books called Vox books and Wonderbooks for the library. These books have the recording built in the front cover of the book so that readers can follow along while being read to without the need to have a cd player. The talking book collection is available in the children’s room of the library with the exception of the teen titles that can be found in Young Adult Fiction. If you need any information on these options to access books to listen to, ask at the Service Desk or the Children’s Desk, we are happy to help.

Please ask at the Children’s Desk if there is something you’re looking for and can’t find right away; we’re here to help. Check out our monthly calendar of programming too. We offer a variety of activities for all ages, from story times to video game clubs. You can find more information on our website at www.newulmlibrary.org on the Library Events page.

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday – Thursday from 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday – Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.