As part of our literacy development we have started listening to an audio book.  The whole class get comfy with cushions and listen together.

After listening we discuss the story using Bloom Buttons.

Why are we doing this???                                                                

Research shows that audiobooks allow the listener to retain their visualisation and picture-making skills.  A reader who struggles to ‘decode’ the words will have difficulty absorbing their meaning, affecting comprehension, memory and enjoyment. The listener, however, not only has the advantage of being able to visualise as they listen, their understanding is also helped by a model of interpretive reading for the tone of voice, accent, emphasis and timing given to the text by the professional reader.

Listening to books in audio form can help them acquire not only a whole new range of experience, but a vocabulary beyond their own reading level and everyday conversation, enhancing fluency and comprehension. Their horizons expand, they absorb the structure and conventions of storytelling and develop much greater confidence to communicate both orally and on paper, which has enormous benefits to their writing.

Good listening skills are essential for effective learning in all areas of the curriculum and will help pupils with their school work. Audiobooks improve concentration and engage pupils with their studies, helping them to achieve at a higher level across the curriculum and continue to self-select literature in the future, instilling a lifelong love of reading.

What the children say                                                               

I like how it gets you relaxed and focused to listen.

I like how you get to relax and not have to read a book.

I think it’s quite good how we all sit together and it’s quiet so the only thing you are concentrating on is the story.

I like how you don’t have to read it off a page.  You can just lie down and imagine it all.

The questions at the end are important so that we know we have been listening.

I think it’s good how we get to hear what other people say because if you don’t understand a bit of the story talking about it might help you to understand that part.