Road trips can equal literacy building time when you listen to audiobooks.
Really. Audiobooks make the time pass more quickly and they help with reading comprehension, fluency and the background knowledge that makes us all better readers.
Reading Rockets explains some of the benefits here. So does Proliteracy in this video:
Take learning up a notch by incorporating some activities with your listening:
- Pause the audiobook now and then to talk about the book (or do this whenever you stop for a travel break). Ask questions.
- “Which character in the story is your favorite?”
- “Are there are characters you really don’t like?”
- “Would you like to go to the place described in this book?”
- You can also make predictions about where the story is going during your breaks. Then see who comes closest to being right!
- Challenge each other to listen for words you don’t know. If someone doesn’t know what a word means, have them write it down or shout “stop” so you can look up the meaning together. Keep a list of the words you learn.
- Draw along with the story. Draw what you think the characters look like or illustrate a scene from the story.
Check out my list of audiobooks below. These all fit in with our space theme for Summer Reading.
Happy reading and listening!
Deborah Ellerbrook
Some of my many roles at the library include: tax form guru, collectibles promoter, inspirational fiction evangelist, adult literacy promoter, Book Group in a Bag cheerleader, So Many Books book discussion group leader and reader's advisor.