I am addicted: Yes, I’m an audiophile! I love listening to audiobooks. I listen to them on my commute to work, while cleaning the house, watching my son’s basketball practice, exercising, and even shopping (occasionally, I do come home without a few items on my list). I believe that part of my love for audiobooks comes from the feeling that I’m multitasking -- I get great satisfaction from the idea that I am accomplishing two things at once. But a bigger part of me enjoys the mode of presentation. The narrator’s use of inflection, tone, voice variations, or dialect for different characters, his or her interpretation and effective pacing, pauses, and even silence engage my senses and I am totally absorbed, mesmerized, transfixed. I have been known to sit in the car in my driveway for an hour upon arriving home, just to finish listening to a book.
I share my enthusiasm for audiobooks with teachers, parents, students, family members, and anyone else who will listen. Many rejoice right along with me in the merits of audiobooks. Audiobooks have a lot of fans -- it’s a 2 billion dollar industry in the United States -- with the most devoted being true booklovers and avid readers. But, at other times, my enthusiasm is met with comments such as “That’s not really reading, is it?” or “I won’t let my students listen to audiobooks because that’s cheating.” Listening to books is certainly different from reading books, but is it cheating? Does listening to audiobooks count as reading?
I suppose the answer to that question must come from one’s own definition of reading. If reading is understanding the content of the story or the theme, then audiobooks certainly succeed. No one would argue the importance of decoding in teaching children to read. But, understanding the message, thinking critically about the content, using imagination, and making connections is at the heart of what it means to be a reader and why kids learn to love books.
Audiobooks have traditionally been used in schools by teachers of second-language learners, learning-disabled or -impaired students, and struggling readers or nonreaders. In many cases, audiobooks have proven successful in providing a way for these students to access literature and enjoy books. But they have not been widely used with average, avid, or gifted readers. Varley (2002) writes, “Uncertain whether audiobooks belong to the respectable world of books or the more dubious world of entertainment, elementary- and high-school teachers have often cast a fishy eye at them, and many have opted for the safe course of avoidance” (p. 252).
It might be appropriate, then, to list the benefits of audiobooks for all students: Audiobooks can be used to
Additionally, many audiobooks are read by the author or include commentary by the author. A recording of The Fighing Ground by Avi, for example, includes an author interview in which he explains how he came up with the idea for the book. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is read by author Jack Gantos and also includes commentary about why he wrote the book. This information can provide students with a connection to the author as well as insight into the author’s thoughts and the writing process.
However, even with all the benefits of audiobooks, they are not for all students. For some, the pace may be too fast or too slow. For others, the narrator’s voice can be irritating or the use of cassette or CD players can be cumbersome when compared to the flexibility of the book. But the majority of students will find listening to well-narrated, quality literature to be a transformative experience. Varley (2002) states, “If one thing has struck me about the way people describe listening to audiobooks, it is the reported intensity of their absorption and the emotional grip of the experience. ‘They go right to your soul,’ says one listener” (p. 253).
One reason more audiobooks are not finding their way into classrooms is availability. Public libraries usually have a good quantity of audiobooks, but most school libraries have a limited number -- audiobooks are expensive. The cost of cassette or CD players, headphones, and batteries must also be taken into consideration, and though these costs have come down considerably in the last few years, schools typically do not budget funds for such purchases.
If money is available for purchasing audiobooks, it is important for librarians and teachers to do their homework before buying. Single-author unabridged audiobooks tend to be the best, though some dramatizations (such as Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, read by the author with a cast of more than 40 British actors) can be excellent. There are many sources of audiobook reviews readily available online (see below) and in print. These reviews can be well worth the time in reading when making costly purchases and are also an excellent way of staying abreast of recently released titles. Articles are also available with suggestions for using audiobooks in the classroom (see below), and there are some audiobooks available to download free of charge (see below).
Many students around the world are avid readers, while others are struggling to become readers and still others have given up hope. Audiobooks have something to offer all of these students -- to meet them wherever they are and bring them along on a wondrous journey. Audiobooks can be a welcomed addition to every classroom. As a matter of fact, most students will find them to be simply ear-resistable!
Reviews of Audiobooks
This site hosts audiobook reviews and interviews with authors, but also encourages listeners to post their own comments and reviews. There is also an online audiobook club.
A website designed to share thoughtful book reviews, compelling features, in-depth author profiles and interviews, and excerpts of the hottest new releases.
American Library Association, Notable Children’s Recordings
The American Library Association selects outstanding audiobooks for the annual Notable Children’s Recordings listing. Publisher, length, number of cassettes or CDs, and price are also provided.
Salon Audio, a digital audio hub, offers downloadable chapters, interviews, and commentary from today’s most compelling writers and performers.
SLJ serves librarians who work with young people in school and public libraries. The “audio of the week” section provides a review of one children’s audiobook per week. All weekly reviews are available.
Audiobooks Available Online
Aesop’s Fables, Online Collection
An online collection of Aesop’s Fables, with more than 655 fables indexed in table format, with their morals listed. Many also have lesson plans.
All Free Online Children ’ Books
This site houses three books for children up to about eight years of age: Cats and Spiders, A Cat Called Spice, and The Bird Family. Children can click on each page of the book to see the pictures and text and then click on the audio for the words to be read aloud.
This site hosts hundreds of audiobooks in several genres available to download to MP3 players free of charge. A filter is available to allow the visitor to search for audiobooks without strong language or murders, or that are for “adults only.” Books in various languages are also available, in abridged or unabridged formats.
Kids' Corner at Wired for Books
Supported by Ohio University, the Kids' Corner area of Wired for Books hosts several audiobooks: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Grimm’s Fairytales, and Just So Stories.
Articles on Audiobooks
Though this site sells audiobooks, it also houses several good articles on why and how to use them with children.
“Earphone English,” an article from School Library Journal
Author Francisca Goldsmith discusses how an old standby (the audiobook) has become a hip tool for teaching teens a second language.
Audiobook Suppliers
· Books on Tape
· Harper Audio
· Random House Listening Library
· Recorded Books
References
Baskin, B., & Harris, K. (1995). Heard any good books lately? The case for audiobooks in the secondary classroom. Journal of Reading, 38(5), 372-376.
Back
Varley, P. (2002). As good as reading? Kids and the audiobook revolution. Horn Book Magazine, 78(3), 251-263.
Back
About the Author
|
Denise Johnson is an assistant professor of reading education at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virigina, USA. She received her Ed.D. in reading from the University of Memphis, Tennessee. She has worked as an elementary classroom teacher, a middle school reading specialist, and a Reading Recovery teacher. She now teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy education and conducts research on the integration of technology into preservice and inservice education courses and within elementary classrooms. Her articles on literacy and technology have been published in a variety of journals and she is active in several professional organizations. She enjoys traveling with her family and reading to her son, Derek. Contact her by e-mail at cdjohn@wm.edu. |
For an index of Electronic Classroom Web Watches, click here.
Citation: Johnson, D. (2003, April). Web watch -- Audiobooks: Ear-resistible! Reading Online, 6(8). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=webwatch/audiobooks/index.html
Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted April 2003
© 2003 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232