Benefits of Audiobooks #3: Increased Intimacy?

You know that feeling you get when that special someone leans close and whispers in your ear? That comes  from intimacy, that deep, familiar knowledge or connection you have with someone else. Most of the time, we relate intimacy with romance, but it doesn't stop there.

When you listen to an audiobook, you are most often listening in the car or through headphones. In that moment you allow the narrator's voice to become the primary sound you hear. Hearing only his or her voice for hours quickly increases your familiarity with the reader's style, cadence, and way of speaking or acting.

Unlike actors in movies or television, the narrator works alone. There is no set, no props to aid the listener's experience. The narrator must bring to life the written word. In doing so, he creates a kind of trust with the listener. An understood agreement that exists during the time they spend together; something like, "I'll do my best to make this book really interesting, and if I do, you'll search for time to finish listening to the book."

During the time you are listening to a book, you are giving the narrator permission to speak directly to your mind for hours. Out of that familiarity grows intimacy between the narrator an the listener; and for that reason, you will often search out those voices that become familiar to you.

When you listen to audiobooks, you'll find there are certain readers/ narrators you prefer over others because of the quality of the voice. Some, you will find, have the ability to connect with readers in the first chapter. Some are able to overcome poor writing, and make the story better than it is.

Hearing another voice read a book is a great way to make reading fresh. It makes the reading experience more intimate. Try an audiobook today; you won't regret it. Or so says the voice in your head.

Who is Our Audiobook Audience?

A consistent question I've heard since our launch has been, "Who are your audiobooks good for?" The quick answer is everybody over eight! They were originally written for young boys, more what we would call Young Adult readers. That doesn't leave out adults though! Don't forget, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl,  Twilight and The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr) all fall into the Young Adult category! Henty's books take place in history, though. In the Heart of the Rockies embraces Lonesome Dove-kind-of-adventure rather than fantasy, and tells the hair-raising story of a young man's experiences in the American West.

So who enjoys this kind of story? Homechoolers know Henty's works and have loved them for years. What a great tool to supplement your homeschool curriculum! (The books come with a .pdf of the entire book at no extra charge!) Henty creates tales that faithfully recreate defining, often overlooked,  moments in history. He weaves stories that cover the globe, yet they teach values embraced by all.)

These stories help the roadtrip miles go by quickly and are sure to be enjoyed by your whole family. Instead of "How many miles before we get there?" your ears will be surprised to hear, "Are we there already?" Ahhhh. . .

Or do you know someone whose vision is impaired? Audiobooks make great gifts for the vision-impaired and provide hours of entertainment for the elderly.

Heading into this Christmas season, take a minute to listen to an audiobook. Turn off the negativity on the radio, and listen to a story of adventure, endurance, bravery and excitement. It will make a difference in your outlook as well as your day!

If you haven't yet, go ahead, click the BUY NOW button to the right, and purchase In the Heart of the Rockies to listen to this holiday season. See if you don't find yourself enjoying the story and sharing it with others!

Audiobooks can be for everbody! Give them a chance today!

Benefits of Audiobooks #2: Expanded Vocabulary

This benefit of listening to audiobooks seems obvious, doesn’t it? It stands to reason that if you listen to an audiobook, you’re bound to pick up some words or phrases you didn’t know, understand, or use before. So, “Why the blog post about it, Captain Obvious?” you might ask. The answer is pretty straight forward: things aren’t always what they appear to be.

Expanded vocabulary is a good thing, right? You want your children to be able to communicate intelligently, using an expansive vocabulary that demonstrates a depth of understanding and a broad education. The ability to communicate well works like a key that opens doors to possibilities previously unknown. Placing good audiobooks in their hands is one way parents can equip their children for such opportunity. And therein lies the rub.

Notice I said good.  I’m not here to convince you my idea of good should be your idea of good. However there are some principles we can employ to maximize the benefit of audiobooks for our children. I don’t think many would argue with the idea: garbage in, garbage out.
In the coarsening of our culture over the years, books have not been left out. The language and the themes of young adult literature have often served to rob youth of their innocence, substituting sophistication for maturity. We, as caretakers of our youth, must seek out content which would benefit them; not tear them down.

Reading is a good thing, but not all books are worth being read. Reading still must be monitored. With younger children the content itself must be monitored in order to protect them.
As children grow older, parents, teachers, and caretakers have the responsibility to discuss challenging ideas, being careful to teach them how to process information that doesn’t line up with one’s values. In this way children are molded into capable and responsible thinkers, able to reject those themes or ideas with which they don’t agree.

Too often as a teacher I heard parents tell me, “at least they’re reading.” No! That’s not the answer! Find good literature, not those filled with the “grit of real life.” Reading should lift them to higher ideas. Ask a librarian, search the internet for reviews from respected sources, not just bookcreature137.

Be on the lookout for a good mix of fiction and non-fiction. Look for stories that teach about human character, warts and all. Look for stories which focus on triumph, not trouble.

If your child listens to those stories, his heart will be strengthened. His heart will be expanded by powerful stories of overcoming obstacles and true self-esteem. And you will hear a change in the way he speaks. Audiobooks have the power to change lives, for good or bad. Choose wisely, and you will reap the benefits long after you hit “play”.

On His Adventure~
Trey

Benefits of Audiobooks #1: Greater Fluency

I love to read! Books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, websites — you name it, and I enjoy reading it! I taught literature in schools for 18 years, and in that time I observed a growing trend. (Most of those years were spent teaching 9th grade.) My college-prep students came to me with low-level reading abilities. I don’t mean to say they could not read; on the contrary, they could read. They just could not read well.

Reading is its own field, and I do not pretend to be a reading expert, but the major problem my students’ experienced was one of fluency. Reading fluency includes both the speed of reading, and the ability to read with expression. My students could read the words on the page, but the vast majority of them  were unable to read with expression. As we struggled to listen to one read aloud one day in class, it dawned on me the reason they hated reading so much was that it bored them. Not the subject matter, but their listening to themselves reading in their own heads. Unable to read with any expression or effectively follow a written conversation, my students were boring themselves to death and didn’t realize it.

I knew they needed to have good reading modeled for them. I tried to read to them at times and they enjoyed the process, but I couldn’t go home with each one. That’s when I turned to audiobooks. Using audiobooks, students could follow along with a good reader. Over the years I noticed some students demonstrate marked improvement in their reading fluency, but that wasn’t the most interesting thing observed. Many students related to me they just enjoyed listening to the story. The narrator made it more interesting than they thought they could.

I began to listen to a few audiobooks to pass the time while on long car trips, but the more I listened, the more I was hooked. Now, I listen to both fiction and non-fiction, and it is rare you do not find me listening to an audiobook if driving down the road. This summer I read 68 books, 53 of which were audiobooks.

Obviously, I love audiobooks! But  I have seen first-hand one of the biggest educational benefits of audiobooks — greater fluency. In coming posts we’ll take a look at other benefits of audiobooks.


On His Adventure,

Trey