CD audio books have become quite popular for families in search of an alternative entertainment source. It is a really great way to spend time together aside from the ‘ol sitting in front of the tube scenario. The difference between watching the tube and listening to a story is that kids and parents alike get to use their individual imagination to visualize things like setting, costumes, and character appearance. It also provides an opportunity to share ideas after listening and acting out their version of happenings.
This creative element is a great benefit for kids in the development of reading skills and pre-reading skills. Many sources agree it improves kid’s literacy skills as well as listening comprehension. It is a powerful experience to support the love of reading which is so important these days especially when learning to read is a challenge.
Parents can utilize cd audio books in the car on the way to and from school and also at bedtime. At bedtime it is a convenient method of ending the day when everyone is tired and wants to just close their eyes and listen. By selecting audio books together, parents have more control over what their kids are exposed to so it becomes a win-win situation instead of arguing over excessive TV time which on average is way over done in the US household.
One of the most popular titles, enjoyable for young and old, is the Harry Potter Series. My family enjoyed listening to this one much more than reading because we had such a hard time with the different accents that by listening it created really rich experience that was fun for everyone. I relate using audio books as entertainment to a healthy version of a soap opera: something to look forward to everyday but without all the TV garbage and drama.
Here are a few tips and sources for finding children’s audio books.
- Check out the latest award winning children’s audio books here.
- Download children’s audio books here