Audiobooks And Literacy

Engagement with audiobooks can benefit children and young people’s reading skills and enjoyment, as well as their mental wellbeing and emotional intelligence, according to this review by the National Literacy Trust.

The review identified how audiobooks can widen children’s access to literature. Not only are audiobooks easy and convenient to access via digital devices, but children are able to access a broader range of texts. They are also able to access more of a book than reading alone as the listening experience deepens their understanding of tone and pronunciation and exposes them to different accents and dialects.

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      string(3311) "Start a New ChapterWhether you are blind, partially sighted, dyslexic or have another disability that makes you unable to read standard print, Calibre Audio Library brings the joy of audio books to everyone.  Calibre was set up over 40 years ago by a mother whose partially sighted son struggled to read the printed word. To solve the problem, she set up an audio library so he could enjoy books just like his friends. Since then, Calibre Audio Library has grown into a national charity that has over 14,000 members across the UK.Why are audio books so important?‘Audio books enable children with dyslexia and other print disabilities to develop literacy skills. They enhance their learning and they can reap the same rewards from reading as others. Audio books can be used as a replacement to reading print or as a supplement. Regular reading alongside listening allows the reader to make relationships between the sounds and print, improves word recognition and increases reading speed’ says Michael Lewington, Director of Calibre Audio Library. Struggling readers often have a comprehension age higher than their reading age. This means that audio books can be an equaliser. By bridging the gap between comprehension and reading levels, audio books can be an important tool in a child’s growth. ‘I cannot tell you how valuable Calibre is to my son. He is dyslexic and can get very demoralised at the reading material given to him at school. Calibre has enabled him to read books by a wide range of authors that are appropriate to his age and interest level. It has opened a world for him which he didn’t think he would be able to access’Michael Lewington, Director of Calibre Audio LibraryCalibre Audio LibraryCalibre has nearly 11,000 unabridged titles available to anyone over 16 and nearly 3,000 titles especially for students under 16, grouped by key stage or study level for guidance. Books can be borrowed on MP3 CD, USB memory stick, streamed or downloaded via the Calibre Audio Library app, so they really can be taken anywhere.We offer a Group Membership for schools and organisations for an annual subscription fee of £18 (inc. VAT).Alternatively, parents can buy individual lifetime memberships for their child for a single one-off payment of £20 per child (£35 for over 16s).Each membership includes a personalised service, 24 hour access to our library via the internet, unlimited numbers of books to stream or download, newsletters and updates on new books added to our library. We post the MP3 CD’s and USB memory sticks direct to your home. To join or for more information contact our membership services team:01296 432339 membershipservices@calibre.org.uk www.calibre.org.uk‘Thank you from myself and my daughter for giving her access to your library. Meg is 9 and very dyslexic. Audio books have been great for her and she loves the worlds of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl amongst others. Who doesn’t? For a child who loves stories but has great difficulty reading, it would be a shame if she couldn’t get to experience these books at her age!’Audio books mean children won’t miss out.Calibre Audio Library registered charity no. 286614, VAT no. 138840202"
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Assistive Technology

Education for Everyone

4 Dec 2018

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      string(317) "... about books and their reading experience. There are lots of ways you can get your reading too: most library services now offer e books, e audiobooks, talking books and Large Print as well as picture books, paperbacks and hardbacks.  In addition, let’s not forget that reading is a crucial ..."
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      string(5608) "experience the terrifying in a safe environment and fantasy is by far the most popular genre amongst young people. Reading is cool again and it is the headliners of the last decade that have made it so:  Harry Potter, 50 Shades of Grey, Pride and Prejudice, The Da Vinci Code and Paddington Bear.  Not necessarily all great literature, but they have encouraged complete strangers to talk to each other about books and their reading experience. There are lots of ways you can get your reading too: most library services now offer e books, e audiobooks, talking books and Large Print as well as picture books, paperbacks and hardbacks.  In addition, let’s not forget that reading is a crucial skill: without it, you cannot function in the 21st century, so why not make it as accessible as possible.Personally, I hate the slogan: Libraries are not just about books.  Why would you promote a negative?  Why not say:  Libraries have the most fantastic selection of books to suit all ages and tastes and they are free, but libraries also offer so much more. The six Universal Offers that all Libraries work to in England as devised by the Society of Chief Librarians are Learning, Information, Digital, Reading, Health and Culture.  Everything we do in terms of activity in our Libraries supports those offers and will also, I guarantee, support the main aims and objectives of the local council. In my case, this is to raise aspiration, grow the economy, promote health and well-being and keep people connected. Our activity might look ‘nice’ or ‘fluffy’ on the surface, but there will always be an underpinning agenda.Keeping learning has been identified as one of the 5 Ways to Well-Being and the computer age makes so many opportunities available for online learning.  This is a key area where libraries level the playing field through our People’s Network computers, granting everyone access to the Internet through their public library service. The great philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, endowed so many public libraries to give everyone the opportunity to gain knowledge and learning regardless of economic standing or background. That is so true today.  In my borough, 13% of people are digitally illiterate in an age where digital competence is becoming an essential skill.  It’s not just about owning the computer or the tablet or the Smartphone; there are the costs of the broadband to enable you to use it, so all our libraries in my borough and most across the country now have wi-fi.  There is also the issue of learning the skills to go beyond Facebook or messaging.  To my mind, in this field, libraries are more important than ever.We also offer space and opportunity to our Adult Learning programme to deliver formal learning in a non-threatening environment in our library spaces, to encourage many who felt that learning had not been a great experience to give it another go.  Just to add, in the Liverpool City region alone, 143,000 people do not have basic qualifications. Through our public libraries, we can support them to get, either the skills that they need to move forward and get into employment or volunteering.Libraries also hold the keys to the world of Local History, helping people to nurture a sense of civic pride in achievement and also, through learning from the past, to look to the future and the possibilities inherent in innovation and enterprise.  The rise in interest in family history and tracing one’s family tree has opened a whole new seam for libraries, many of whom have some amazing treasures to share.In the health arena, libraries have a huge role to play.  Seventy-four per cent of health information that people access through Google is simply wrong and a librarian can help people access the information they need through pointing them to verified and verifiable schemes, the librarian’s mantra.  The three Books on Prescription schemes operated by most public libraries, do much to help people learn about common mental health issues, cope with dementia, either as a sufferer or a carer, and help a parent or a young person manage the increasingly worrying number of issues that our young people are reporting in terms of their mental health and well-being.  All my staff are trained as Dementia Friends.In my borough, we have seen the benefits of delivering an Arts on Prescription programme through our libraries, a return on investment of a staggering £11.55 for each £1 spent.  But so much of what we do is not measurable: who can say what the elderly gentleman who comes in to read the paper and do the jigsaw puzzle in our library is gaining? We can’t, but I bet he could. Also, we know that, through our Cultural Hubs programme, we have opened the eyes of many who don’t normally engage with the Arts, but who will come to their library for an evening of theatre, music or even a gig and then maybe go on to explore further the wonderful rich world of the arts.Sometimes we get some phenomenal feedback, like the parent who wrote in to say that their child had increased two reading levels at school and she attributed that to the Summer Reading Challenge or the parent whose child has difficulty speaking to anyone outside her family because of an identified medical condition, but she has no problem talking to the library staff because she has been coming to the library since she was tiny and looks on the staff as family.  I once had a letter from a lady who said that coming to our Central Library in"
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Family

Public Libraries More Important Than You Might Imagine

17 Apr 2018

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      string(5622) "skills, compared to all other text types. Starting to encourage regular reading now, while school are closed would be beneficial, and when schools re-open, this reading for pleasure time could be retained, providing time each week for pupils to read for pleasure.  Indeed, this could even form part of the school’s wellbeing strategy where pupils are encouraged to focus on themselves and find a book that really resonates with them – whether escaping into an imaginary world or catching up with their favourite fictional friends.Access books in different waysWhile many of us are concerned about the increasing amount of time that children and young people are spending on screens during this pandemic, there are many brilliant digital texts and narrated stories for children and young people to access books in this way.  Indeed, digital books can support young children’s language and literacy development, particularly when a parent or older sibling is around to discuss the story with them (e.g., make predictions, discuss emotions, and explain unfamiliar words).  Alternatively, audio books can be an excellent way for older children and young people to relax with a book, and may be particularly effective at encouraging less frequent readers. Audio books don’t put pressure on the child or young person to read themselves, they simply get to enjoy the book and all the rich experiences that come with it. Make it socialReading doesn’t always have to be a solitary activity, and while there are possibly more opportunities for discussions about reading in school, discussions can also take place online during school closures.  Ways to make reading more social include supporting a student-led book club. This gives older pupils in Key Stage 2 right through to secondary school, an opportunity to chat about and recommend books to each other. Pupils should be given an opportunity to decide on the books to discuss, and teachers can join and lead the discussion, but only if necessary. Regular meetings at a weekly book club with peers allows pupils to enjoy reading as part of a wider social activity, where they can share their own thoughts and experiences of different books. Furthermore, book clubs may also encourage children and young people to expand the genres they read.Overcoming barriers to readingWe must recognise that there are barriers to supporting reading for pleasure and some children and young people experience more barriers than others. These barriers are diverse, but can include access to books and other text types, difficulties with reading and therefore challenges identifying interesting readable books, lack of interest, difficulty finding time to read, lack of experience in identifying books of interest. In a recent study of ours, many secondary school pupils in particular reported numerous reasons why they no longer read books.  Schools, teachers and parents should seek to understand why their pupils are not choosing to read, and provide individualised support based on an understanding of the barriers.Taking a whole-school approachThere are a number of practical steps senior leadership teams (SLTs) and teachers can take to support pupils with reading at home, but for sustained success, a whole-school approach to promoting reading for pleasure is important. This could include forming a reading leadership group and considering whether reading for pleasure should be included in school strategy documents or improvement plans. A further tactic could be to encourage reading across the curriculum by making a book the centrepiece of an interdisciplinary project.Ongoing evaluation and learningSLT’s and teachers should continue to reflect on and evaluate the reading practices they are encouraging in school and at home. Are the reading practices being encouraged effective and supporting all students, or do barriers exist for some pupils? Are solutions available to tackle this? You could also request feedback from your students so you receive their opinions, either through anonymous posts or short surveys. Based on this feedback, school practices can then be refined to ensure all students’ reading experiences and development are optimally supported.Schools should also encourage teaching staff to participate in continued professional learning to ensure they draw upon recent research insights and engage in dialogue with fellow teachers to support and optimise reading for pleasure practices. Supporting pupils to read books can be challenging if teachers have limited knowledge of the books available. You could use current booklists and reports such as What Kids Are Reading to understand what children and young people are reading and find out more about these books to see if they can be offered in school or online.Implementing these changesIt is a challenging and changeable time for teachers and SLTs across the country and we have all had our resilience tested in different ways over the last year. We have all witnessed the impact of the pandemic on our children and young people and it is concerning to see the rise in children and young people experiencing poor mental health. Indeed, it has never been more important to encourage and develop a love of reading to support children’s and young people’s learning and wellbeing.For more information about this research and further advice on encouraging reading enjoyment please visit http://www.renlearn.co.uk/reading-enjoyment/ where you can download the full guide.Dr Sarah McGeown is a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

What Motivates Children To Read. Or Not?

12 Apr 2021

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      ["value"]=>
      string(5622) "skills, compared to all other text types. Starting to encourage regular reading now, while school are closed would be beneficial, and when schools re-open, this reading for pleasure time could be retained, providing time each week for pupils to read for pleasure.  Indeed, this could even form part of the school’s wellbeing strategy where pupils are encouraged to focus on themselves and find a book that really resonates with them – whether escaping into an imaginary world or catching up with their favourite fictional friends.Access books in different waysWhile many of us are concerned about the increasing amount of time that children and young people are spending on screens during this pandemic, there are many brilliant digital texts and narrated stories for children and young people to access books in this way.  Indeed, digital books can support young children’s language and literacy development, particularly when a parent or older sibling is around to discuss the story with them (e.g., make predictions, discuss emotions, and explain unfamiliar words).  Alternatively, audio books can be an excellent way for older children and young people to relax with a book, and may be particularly effective at encouraging less frequent readers. Audio books don’t put pressure on the child or young person to read themselves, they simply get to enjoy the book and all the rich experiences that come with it. Make it socialReading doesn’t always have to be a solitary activity, and while there are possibly more opportunities for discussions about reading in school, discussions can also take place online during school closures.  Ways to make reading more social include supporting a student-led book club. This gives older pupils in Key Stage 2 right through to secondary school, an opportunity to chat about and recommend books to each other. Pupils should be given an opportunity to decide on the books to discuss, and teachers can join and lead the discussion, but only if necessary. Regular meetings at a weekly book club with peers allows pupils to enjoy reading as part of a wider social activity, where they can share their own thoughts and experiences of different books. Furthermore, book clubs may also encourage children and young people to expand the genres they read.Overcoming barriers to readingWe must recognise that there are barriers to supporting reading for pleasure and some children and young people experience more barriers than others. These barriers are diverse, but can include access to books and other text types, difficulties with reading and therefore challenges identifying interesting readable books, lack of interest, difficulty finding time to read, lack of experience in identifying books of interest. In a recent study of ours, many secondary school pupils in particular reported numerous reasons why they no longer read books.  Schools, teachers and parents should seek to understand why their pupils are not choosing to read, and provide individualised support based on an understanding of the barriers.Taking a whole-school approachThere are a number of practical steps senior leadership teams (SLTs) and teachers can take to support pupils with reading at home, but for sustained success, a whole-school approach to promoting reading for pleasure is important. This could include forming a reading leadership group and considering whether reading for pleasure should be included in school strategy documents or improvement plans. A further tactic could be to encourage reading across the curriculum by making a book the centrepiece of an interdisciplinary project.Ongoing evaluation and learningSLT’s and teachers should continue to reflect on and evaluate the reading practices they are encouraging in school and at home. Are the reading practices being encouraged effective and supporting all students, or do barriers exist for some pupils? Are solutions available to tackle this? You could also request feedback from your students so you receive their opinions, either through anonymous posts or short surveys. Based on this feedback, school practices can then be refined to ensure all students’ reading experiences and development are optimally supported.Schools should also encourage teaching staff to participate in continued professional learning to ensure they draw upon recent research insights and engage in dialogue with fellow teachers to support and optimise reading for pleasure practices. Supporting pupils to read books can be challenging if teachers have limited knowledge of the books available. You could use current booklists and reports such as What Kids Are Reading to understand what children and young people are reading and find out more about these books to see if they can be offered in school or online.Implementing these changesIt is a challenging and changeable time for teachers and SLTs across the country and we have all had our resilience tested in different ways over the last year. We have all witnessed the impact of the pandemic on our children and young people and it is concerning to see the rise in children and young people experiencing poor mental health. Indeed, it has never been more important to encourage and develop a love of reading to support children’s and young people’s learning and wellbeing.For more information about this research and further advice on encouraging reading enjoyment please visit http://www.renlearn.co.uk/reading-enjoyment/ where you can download the full guide.Dr Sarah McGeown is a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology"
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Applications and Software

How To Motivate Children To Read At School And At Home

28 Mar 2021

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