Audiobooks for Summer Reading: Research + Recommendations

I have seen the power of audiobooks throughout my professional and personal life. They engage readers, help them build mental images of stories, and develop children's vocabulary. I am excited to share my experiences and recommendations, along with a survey of current research on the impact of audiobooks, in an upcoming EdWeb webinar:

Preventing the Summer Slide with Audiobooks
Monday, May 8, 2017 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
via EdWeb.net, sponsored by Tales2Go

Reading during the summer is essential, as the vast majority of parents and children know. Yet still, many students only read a handful of books during this 3 month break. The result is that they lose many of the gains they've made during the school year. This impacts students across the board, but has a especially significant impact on low-income students.

Listening to professionally narrated audiobooks is a great way to prevent the “summer slide.” In this edWeb webinar, I will present research findings from a 2016 study looking at the effect of adding a listening component to literacy instruction—in school and at home. I will specifically address its impact on student vocabulary, reading comprehension and motivation to read. I will put this in a broader context of reading develop, examining reasons why listening comprehension is key to developing strong readers.

I will also share my experience watching students use audiobooks on a regular basis and consider the importance of providing year-round digital access to audiobooks. Finally, I will share recommendations of some of our favorite audiobooks for summer listening.

This live, interactive session is designed for PreK-12 librarians as well as reading coaches, ELL specialists/teachers, Title I teachers and administrators, district librarians, and classroom teachers. Join us to learn how to prevent the summer slide with audiobooks!

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books