Parents are often concerned about their children’s literacy skills. They’ll try every possible measure to help improve their children’s abilities, whether that includes reading them nighttime stories or having their children perform recitations for them. Given the advantages children gain from starting to read earlier, parents can feel vindicated in their approach.

Studies show that the first three years of a child’s development are essential. The excess of synapses makes children responsive to external input. During this age, parents can influence their children and mold positive habits in them. This influence from external input means that many parents often try reading to their young children, playing classical music, and attempting a host of other activities to stimulate brain growth.

Furthermore, research shows that promoting early literacy can lead to better outcomes in life for your child. Children who develop reading and literacy skills earlier tend to read faster than their counterparts, allowing for better comprehension. Moreover, many schools appreciate children who have superior literacy skills and will often devise advanced programs to stimulate them intellectually. Whether these advantages last later in life is dependent on your child’s work ethic and ability, but it’s apparent early literacy gives children a headstart.

How Audiobooks Can Help Your Child

Advancements in technology have brought audiobooks to the forefront, and they’re now becoming increasingly popular. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, one in five Americans listen to audiobooks instead of relying on reading. Audiobooks are convenient, allowing you to listen to a novel or a story while you’re driving, working out, shopping, or doing any other activity imaginable.

Parents are also starting to realize the benefits audiobooks can bring to the table, particularly for young children. Here are some ways audiobooks can help improve your child’s literacy:

Visual and Audio Aid

Young children often have limited vocabulary, resulting in only age-appropriate books being suitable for their reading level. However, visually following along to audiobooks can help improve your child’s vocabulary. Children can learn how to pronounce and spell words by relying on the visuals and audio of audiobooks.

Engaging

Reading a book can often become tedious as you’re sifting through paragraphs of text. However, audiobooks bring excitement to reading because of narration. Many children’s audiobooks have decorated narrators reading the book to you. They encompass emotion and carry a cadence in their voice that appeals to young children.

Ability to Read More Difficult Books

While audiobooks technically don’t constitute reading, they still improve literacy because you have to follow the audio. One of the most significant advantages audiobooks have is that they allow children to read books far above their reading level without much difficulty. Exposure to books that exceed a child’s reading level can boost comprehension and vocabulary substantially because your child will constantly have to push themselves to keep track of the story. Moreover, they’ll continuously be introduced to new words that they’ve never heard before, thereby making improving their literacy.

No Stigma

Audiobooks are excellent for children who encounter difficulties reading or are below-average readers. Audiobooks eliminate stigma because most people listen to audiobooks using headphones. Therefore, no one other than the listener is aware of the book you’re currently enjoying. The elimination of stigma enables children to enjoy books below their reading level without attracting unwanted attention from anyone.