Audio Books

Literacy English language development.

Ever since storytelling first began, children have been enthralled by the power of the spoken word. Audiobooks exposes children to the magical world of narrative stories long before children can read for themselves. Children love being read to – Listening to and sharing stories is a natural human instinct that is innate in all of us. Storytelling is so important for a child's early language and literacy development, making audiobooks a powerful tool.

Audiobooks help foster a long-term interest in reading Research suggests that reading books as a family has a powerful and positive impact on pre- readers and developing readers. Audiobooks can play an important role in achieving this. Research also shows that listening to an audiobook relies on the same cognitive skills as reading in print. Therefore, audiobooks positively support children in developing the skillls needed to read.

Audio storytelling engages the reluctant reader Audiobooks are a fantastic tool for engaging reluctant, and struggling readers. They provide and important bridge for those who find reading difficult, and enables those readers to access books above their own reading abilities. Audiobooks remove the barriers some children face with the written word, and allows them to embrace the exciting world of literature without stigmatisation. There is sometimes a misconception that you are only properly reading if you are reading the text yourself. When in fact, reading is reading whatever form it takes. Audiobooks certainly don’t have to replace books; they can be used alongside printed books.Audiobooks will never impede reading, they will only advance it.

Here in St. Patrick’s National School, we are embracing audiobooks and we have now introduced them into the school library.

Audiobook sources

1. Borrowbox

This is available through your local library. You can borrow an audiobook through the

Borrowbox app in the same way you would borrow a physical book from the library.

2. LOTE4kids 

This is available through your local library aswell. You can borrow books in other

languages using this app.

3. Hoopla 

4. Epic Books 

This is a fantastic website which offers 100’s of EBooks and Audiobooks (Read To

Me)