LISTEN AND LEARN: UNLOCKING THE POWER OF AUDIOBOOKS FOR STRUGGLING READERS

 I'm a huge proponent of givings students time in class to just read. You can read my previous posts about Self-Selected Reading here and here.

There is one problem with S-SR though, and that's how to include students with significant deficits in decoding and fluency. If we just tell them to pick a book and read we'll end up with:

a) students who just pretend to read

b) students who reinforce errors by reading incorrectly

c) students who get frustrated trying to read (leading to decreased engagement and motivation)

So, how do we address this? Audiobooks.

The Magic of Audiobooks: Benefits for Struggling Readers

Audiobooks provide a wealth of benefits for secondary students with diverse learning needs:

1. Improved Comprehension: Audiobooks can help students better understand complex texts, as they can focus on the meaning without getting bogged down by decoding difficulties.
2. Increased Engagement: The narration in audiobooks can capture students' attention and keep them engaged, particularly for those with ADHD who may struggle with focus and attention.
3. Enhanced Fluency: Listening to fluent reading models can help students develop better reading fluency and expression.
   
4. Strengthened Listening Skills: Audiobooks can help students improve their listening skills. Students with autism can also improve their understanding of language, tone, and emotion.

Read and Listen: The Power of Synchronized Audiobooks

The best way to maximize the benefits of audiobooks is to encourage students to read the text while they listen. This multisensory approach allows students to see the words as they hear them, reinforcing both visual and auditory learning. It also helps students to make connections between the written word and spoken language, boosting their overall literacy skills. You'll be shocked how many times students will make comments like "That's how you say that word?" and "I've never actually seen how that word is written."

Some programs like Learning Ally have Synchronized Audiobooks available. I love these because they not only present the text with the audio, but they highlight each sentence as it's being read. This helps keep students focused and if they look away for any reason, they don't have to scramble to find their place again.

Discovering Audiobooks: Resources for Your Classroom

There are many sources to find audiobooks that cater to students' diverse needs. Here are a few recommendations:

• Learning Ally: Learning Ally is a fantastic resource that is specifically designed for students with dyslexia. While their are some books narrated with a synthesized voice, the vast majority are human-narrated texts. The included synchronized highlighting is what makes this my top choice. My state offers this program for free to teachers serving students with disabilities so you may want to check if it's available to you.
  
• Audible: Audible offers a huge selection of audiobooks, including popular titles and classics that can be easily accessed on various devices. If students are able to access the Kindle app or if you have Fire Tablets in the clsssroom you can use Immersion Reading with provides real-time highlighting like Learning Ally. Audible Plus is $7.95 per month and includes unlimited access to their Plus library, while Premium Plus is $14.95 per month and offers 1 monthly credit for any title in addition to the Plus library.
  
• OverDrive(Libby), cloudLibrary, and Hoopla: Many local libraries offer access to digital audiobooks through apps that allow students to borrow audiobooks for free with a library card. Alternatively if you're doing a whole class read, you can access the audiobook through your own library card to play in class.
  
• Project Gutenberg: For public domain titles, Project Gutenberg offers a collection of free audiobooks that can be downloaded or streamed.
  
• School Access: Check if your school district has access to any specific programs or platforms. Your media specialist or librarian will probably know.
  

I hope you'll consider giving audiobooks a try in your classroom, especially for Self-Selected Reading. Your students will thank you.