Are Mp3 Audio Books Beneficial for Children to Learn About Literature?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Technology has changed the way children are learning throughout the world. Computers are used in classrooms and teachers are using software programs to custom design a curriculum based on the needs of each particular child. One issue that is often overlooked until it is too late is whether or not mp3 audiobooks are a beneficial way for children to become knowledgeable in literature. r
Reading is a skill that everyone must have in order to survive in today’s world. Classrooms throughout the world teach children the basics of reading and help introduce the children to a world of literature designed to broaden their minds. But are mp3 audiobooks the way to proceed? Are these audio books for children really helping children learn or are they an unnecessary crutch that can later hurt the child?
Mp3 audiobooks are sets of literature recorded onto a digital medium and then downloaded onto an mp3 player. These audio books can range from popular fiction to “how to” guides. The convenience is undeniable. Adults often lead very busy lives and want to stay abreast of current literature but find themselves without the time to sit down and read a book cover to cover. Mp3 audiobooks bridge this gap quite well.
The issue at hand is whether or not it is acceptable for children and teenagers to rely on this medium. Granted it is a great alternative to the portable DVD player but does it actually have any benefits?
The answer is yes and no. Mp3 audiobooks have several plusses. The first is for children just learning to read. All children will find themselves, at one point or another, struggling with a particular word in a story. By following the words while the voice reads them aloud, the child can identify what a particular word or phrase is. It is very much akin to the stories parents read to their children at night. Parents are another version of mp3 audiobooks.
The downside to mp3 audiobooks comes when they are used solely. It is important for a child or teenager to learn how to read and process the information properly. This is an acquired skill that comes from practice. If the child is listening to an audio book cd, cassette, or mp3 version exclusively then they are not acquiring this much needed life skill. They can find themselves knowledgeable about literature but ignorant of how to read it by themselves.
The effectiveness of mp3 audiobooks comes into question when a student is using the file as their sole means of learning. They may know what the story is about but they are not learning how the words come together. They may know what a word sounds like but would not recognize it. Studies have shown that seeing the words helps imprint them into the memory and hearing them may not.
Too much of one thing, even mp3 audiobooks, is not good for anyone. Students have to learn to read and understand literature. Some things, while great to hear, lose their effectiveness if they are not read. Take for example some forms of poetry. A person reads them on a sound file but the listener misses the physical impact of seeing the words take shape in stanzas or shapes. So you wind up with a student who can recite a poem but cannot read it properly.
Mp3 audiobooks have to be used in conjunction with physical reading. Without doing so then great harm is being done to a child. They are great tools to use on road trips but are not what is needed when studying for a class. The goal is to combine the two mediums in a way that increases understanding but also allows for the person to have to use their mind to process written information. As our technology increases, there will be other ways for books to be discovered. Some will be great and some might interfere with the natural learning order. As with anything, moderation is the key.
The answer, when it comes to mp3 audiobooks being used, is through moderation. There must be a balance. It is perfectly fine to listen to a book when you do not have the time to sit down and read it but you must not rely on this method alone. A perfect balance is one where the child can listen to a book when time does not permit actually reading it and actually knowing how to process the information.
Anything in done in excess can be harmful. This includes utilizing mp3 audiobooks as the sole means of acquiring new literature. If used properly audio books for children can get the child interested in the realms of literature and reading. It can make learning a fun experience. The child can listen to the book and still knows the importance of reading for themselves.
Watch the video related to children books
Help answer the question about children books
What are some neat activity/crafts books for children?I want some books that have neat craft ideas for me to use with children I nanny for. Something that maybe a teacher would have to use for craft projects. The children I nanny for are 4 and 7.
Thanks
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July 5th, 2008 at 11:17 am
it’s almost like a photo
great painting 
July 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
dude, you own! this looks identical to a photograph
July 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
i use photoshop
July 5th, 2008 at 11:52 am
How about weekly trips to your local library. Get a new pile of stories every week. It's a great outing that kids love.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
- A math or science book (not a workbook) geared for young preschool / Kindergarten aged girls or girls and boys. I'm looking for practical and simple, non-technical writing that my daughter could understand. She enjoys learning about volcanoes, plants and animals, the human body, physical science, basic math, word problems, etc. The books I find are usually too technical or geared for gradeschool or they seem geared for boys (i.e. getting dirty and gross with slime). I'm interested in finding something that is not so gender-specific either. For example, not looking for princess stuff. Just something that a preschooler/Kindergartener can grasp and remember. I think kids around this age ask a lot of "why" questions. My daughter can get pretty technical and can grasp things if I use simple language. Typical questions might be: "Why do hot things make steam?" and "Why are owls awake at night?" Today she told her grandma what nocturnal meant: Nocturnal means when animals are awake at night because that's when they hunt for their food and they sleep in the morning. Sorry if I'm going on and on, just trying to give you some ideas here.
I'd also like to see more Learn-To-Read series of books, something like the Biscuit dog series. I'd like to see basic sight words worked into an engaging story, more modern pictures. I don't mean abstract, I just mean something newer and more updated. The illustrations and basic story line play a big role in how much my daughter wants to read the series. The story line can be kept pretty simple with the holidays, basic play, manners, etc.
-Illustrations should have a simple, colorful but entertaining style. I see a lot of stuff that's either too stylized, too CG or animated looking, dated, or cluttered.
-Really enjoy books that have lift-up flaps and things to pull but they often get stuck or torn. Wish there was a way to make this work better and also that there were more books with these features that were not just meant for toddlers. One set of books that were terrific that were age appropriate were In The Country and At School by Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais
You can actually see inside this book if you click on the picture of the cover here:
http://www.amazon.com/Country-Lift-Flap-Learning-Book/dp/2020694182/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241033751&sr=1-1#
Just some suggestions, hope this helps.
July 6th, 2008 at 1:04 am
véiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, que difuu
July 6th, 2008 at 3:58 am
I think there are lots of them, but it's a little hard to identify them because they don't always state that they're "gifted."
Here are some I can think of that may apply:
Roxaboxen / Alice McLerran: A hill covered with rocks and wooden boxes becomes an imaginary town for Marian, her sisters, and their friends. Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill — nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo — but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops….
Christina Katerina and the Box / Patricia Lee Gauch: Christina finds many uses for the large box that housed the new refrigerator.
The Big orange splot / Daniel Manus Pinkwater: When a seagull drops a can of orange paint on his neat house, Mr. Plumbean gets an idea that affects his entire neighborhood.
Meggie Moon / Elizabeth Baguley: Normally, no one dares to play in the yard where Digger and Tiger spend all their time, but when a girl invades, they soon realize that she has some brilliant ideas for playing with the junk found there.
The legend of the Indian paintbrush / Tomie De Paola: Little Gopher follows his destiny, as revealed in a Dream-Vision, of becoming an artist for his people and eventually is able to bring the colors of the sunset down to the earth.
The fossil girl : Mary Anning's dinosaur discovery / Catherine Brighton: In simple cartoon style, tells the story of a twelve-year-old English girl's discovery in 1811 of an ichthyosaurus skeleton.
Emma's rug / Allen Say: A young artist finds that her creativity comes from within when the rug that she had always relied upon for inspiration is destroyed.
Benny : an adventure story / Bob Graham: When Benny the dog steals the show from Brillo the magician, he is forced to look for a new home where his rare talents such as juggling and tap dancing will be appreciated.
My family plays music / Judy Cox: A musical family with talents for playing a variety of instruments enjoys getting together to celebrate.
Granite baby / Lynne Bertrand: Five talented New Hampshire sisters try to care for a baby that one of them has carved out of granite.
Looking for Daniela : a romantic adventure / Steven Kroll: Antonio, a street performer who admires a rich merchant's daughter, must use his talents in juggling, tightrope walking, and guitar playing when he rescues her from bandits and tries to get her home again.
The seven Chinese sisters / Kathy Tucker: When a dragon snatches the youngest of seven talented Chinese sisters, the other six come to her rescue. (And of course the Five Chinese Brothers by Clare Huchet Bishop, or the Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy)
213 valentines / Barbara Cohen: Wade has trouble adjusting when he is transferred to a special fourth grade class for the gifted and talented, so he plans to send himself 213 valentines signed by celebrities.
Amanda Bean's amazing dream : a mathematical story / Cindy Neuschwander: Amanda loves to count everything, but not until she has an amazing dream does she finally realize that being able to multiply will help her count things faster.
Frosted glass / Denys Cazet: Gregory the dog's vivid imagination gets him in trouble at school, leading him to draw cities and spaceships when he should be doing something else, but his artistic ability does not go unrecognized.
Painted dreams / Karen Lynn Williams: Because her Haitian family is too poor to be able to buy paints for her, eight-year-old Ti Marie finds her own way to create pictures that make the heart sing. Ti Marie dreams of being an artist. Whenever she gets some time away from watching her little sisters and helping Mama in their market stall, she finds a cement wall or a scrap of waste paper and lets her imagination soar….
Alistair and the alien invasion / Marilyn Sadler: When aliens invade from outer space, boy genius Alistair is the only person able to save the Earth.
This is the story of Archibald Frisby : who was as crazy for science as any kid could be / Michael Chesworth: Archibald Frisby, mad about science and wise beyond his years, is sent to camp to have fun and ends up broadening the horizons of his fellow campers.
Herbert Binns & the flying tricycle / Caroline Castle: Herbert Binns is such a clever mouse that some of the other animals are jealous of his talents and plot to sabotage his new invention, a flying tricycle.
Baby Brains superstar / Simon James: A musically gifted baby is invited to play the electric guitar at a star-studded rock concert.
Alphabet soup / Kate Banks: A boy's ability to spell words with his alphabet soup comes in handy during the magical journey he takes in his mind with a friendly bear.
Porkenstein / Kathryn Lasky: Lonely after his two brothers are eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, Dr. Smart Pig invents a wolf-proof friend to keep him company on Halloween.
M & M and the super child afternoon / Pat Ross: When best friends, Mimi and Mandy, turn out to be more talented at each other's special choice in a "Super Child" class, they decide to go their separate ways after school.
First graders from Mars. Episode 4, Tera, star student / Shana Corey: Although she is smart, Tera must learn the importance of working together on a group project. Tera is a star student. So when Pod 1 is assigned a group project to build the solar system, Tera is sure she has all the answers. But with her overzealous nature and her know-it-all ways, Tera ruffles a few tentacles. Why does being right sometimes feel so wrong?…
Regards to the man in the moon / Ezra Jack Keats: With the help of his imagination, his parents, and a few scraps of junk, Louie and his friends travel through space.
July 6th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
That long? I'd be willing to bet that it come up around 2010, just in time for the next election.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Doctor Dan the Bandage Man- sexist and stereotypical. In my opinion he behaves in a condescending manner while interacting with his female playmate and treats her like she is inferior just because she is a girl.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
wich program he is for doing this ? beside a tablet ofc
July 7th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
There's a book called How to Raise a Gentleman, it was actually published a few years ago by Brooks Brothers if you can believe that! As far as kids books I would check with the local Christian book store I bet they would have some.
July 8th, 2008 at 1:36 am
HOLY CRAP! Comparing this to the original picture, they’re identical!
July 8th, 2008 at 1:48 am
A-W-E-S-O-M-E your works is very awesome! cool!!!! very good
July 8th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
awesome stuff man,….ama practice hard to get to yo level!
July 8th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Awesome work Williamsshamir
Great video.
Much love Kat
July 8th, 2008 at 10:04 am
The Curious George collection is good, Dr Suess of course, Where the Wild Things Are is classic, and don't be afraid to challenge them. Our eight year old read Harry Potter to our five year old. It was a wonderful experience for both.
July 8th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Well I prefer to donate them to a public library because then everyone gets to read them but on the other hand I like a school because they have less books…I would do a public library because a school would only have 1-2 grades that are interested and a public library more people would read them and I think you get some money off of your taxes…ask for some tax form thingy.
July 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Try amazon they have some good ones:
http://www.amazon.com/tag/pagan%20childrens%20book