Why do we add audio to our storybooks?

Why is the audio element of our storybooks so important to us..🎧

As a parent you want the best for your children. You want them to thrive, taking in all that they see in the world, be it good, bad or indifferent, process it and come to their own conclusions over time. You want them to comprehend life in all of its beauty and harshness and make the most of everyday.  You want them to feel connected with nature as you know there’s a multitude of benefits encased within that lifelong relationship that you hold so precious. Well I do anyway and I’m sure I’m not alone in this..

Also, I’m the kind of parent, that when I see in my child’s development a leaning, or a preference to learning that is different from my own, I’m happy to explore and accommodate as best I can in order to help. I experienced this firsthand, when my son showed signs from a young age that he wasn’t keen on reading. So I made a point of encouraging him into the world of literacy with audiobooks, and we never looked back!

He used to listen to the stories, enjoying the sounds, and sometimes follow along with his finger on the words. This became ‘his thing’ and soon he loved learning in this way and many times I joined him and we’d listen together. We used to go the library regularly too, where he’d pick a few more audio books after scanning the covers carefully. It was always good to get the written words as well, so that if he chose to he could read along and follow the text. I recall one of his favourites was ‘An Eagle in the Snow’ by Michael Morpurgo.

Fast-forward a number of years into our journey here at Tales from Mother Earth

…and once again it made sense to include the audio element in our content. Now, we pride ourselves in knowing that a huge variety of children young and old, with different learning abilities and understanding for their ages, including SEND children can all access of our work.  We want our storybooks to be accessible to children on many levels, and that’s why we have packed so much into the content.  Children love making friends with our realistic characters who in nature really do need our help, and they love to participate by learning those all important conservation messages and tips that can, and do make a difference. This all culminates in the physical content that can be seen within the pages, and also the audio elements of our books that combine to create a powerful and fun learning resource. So regarding the later, yes we see it as an integral part of our young readers experience, so much so, that typically we like to produce four tracks to accompany every one of our storybooks and we would encourage this to remain in our future titles.

  1. Full story narrated by Mother Earth and/or other storybook characters
  2. Full story read along – as above with page turning sound bites so children can learn to read with our content
  3. Story character’s theme music – specific theme music that backs the individual stories
  4. Mother Earth’s Theme – our beautiful signature piece of music

What the experts say..

I’ve known from past experience and seeing my son thrive that audiobooks are great, but now I’ve also found evidence to back this. In fact the internet is a wash with experts confessing the benefits of audiobooks for children which is wonderful to see. I particularly liked this article which was published recently on the Starglow Community website a purposeful parenting community. They have looked into this topic further and have consulted experts and teachers alike. By doing this, they’ve discovered 18 compelling, research-backed reasons why audiobooks can play a powerful role in a child’s education, imagination, and overall well-being. I’m adding the list below, but please take a moment to study their website for the details on each of these points that you’ll find on this page here.

  1. Boosts Vocabulary Development

  2. Improves Listening Comprehension

  3. Encourages Reluctant Readers

  4. Promotes a Love for Stories and Learning

  5. Supports Bilingual and ESL Learners

  6. Builds Critical Thinking Skills

  7. Improves Focus and Attention Span

  8. Enhances Pronunciation and Fluency

  9. Makes Reading a Shared Experience

  10. Provides Access to Advanced Texts

  11. Helps Children with Visual Impairments

  12. Encourages Multitasking with Learning

  13. Reduces Screen Time

  14. Strengthens Emotional Intelligence

  15. Improves Sleep Quality with Bedtime Listening

  16. Reinforces Classroom Learning

  17. Expands Cultural Awareness

  18. Fosters Independence and Self-Confidence

From looking at some of the research available on this subject, audiobooks are a powerful, enriching tool for children of all ages. We now know that they support a child’s academic growth, emotional development and overall love of stories – even if they are reluctant readers like my son, or have learning difficulties, it’s clear audiobooks have a valuable part to play in our brand.

Without doubt they’re a smart, research supported addition to any child’s learning, and rest assured we will continue to produce them for our storybooks here at Tales from Mother Earth.  🦔🐝💦🌲🐞💚🎧

 

 

 

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