In fact, since their introduction, no less than 8 specific benefits have been identified for students using audio textbooks:
1. Audio books provide students with an alternative dynamic or alive source of information apart from the teacher, as opposed to the static dead book, giving the students more variety in the classroom and making the learning process more interesting.
2. Some audio textbooks are specifically prepared with children in mind, such that they are not just informative, but also entertaining. These types of audio books bring fun, and thus, another dimension and a greater quality to the learning process.
3. By playing an audio book, the teacher is freed to do something else, thus allowing teachers to be more productive at school.
4. For those children who have difficulty reading, audio textbooks make it easier to follow the material, making sure they do not miss anything. By just listening to the audio book while reading the printed material can significantly improve comprehension and thus, enhance learning.
5. Audio textbooks are cost effective. One audio book can replace the need to buy 30 odd hard copies.
And better yet, there are now audio book rental services available via the Internet that allows teachers to hire audio textbooks as and when required. Of course, hiring is cheaper than buying audio books, and significantly cheaper than buying just one hard copy, let alone 30.
6. Many audio books are of interesting stories written to entertain children. This is particularly helpful when the children have become too tired to apply their minds to processing static words from a page.
7. Children tend to prefer to listen to an audio book than read a book. Understanding language from audible stimuli is a skill learned from birth and reading is a skill that is much less developed in the school-age child. Accordingly, listening is easier than reading and affords greater comprehension.
8. Audio textbooks aid with the pronunciation of certain words. Due to the relatively less-developed skill of reading in school-age (as compared to hearing), children often have trouble pronouncing words they merely read. Hearing someone say a word clearly while seeing it printed at the same time is developing a stronger association in the students minds, making it quicker to learn.
People in general, but especially children, find it easier and more fun listening to an audio lesson than reading it. It is simply easier to process audible stimuli than it is processing written words. This explains why more children choose to watch the film rather than read the book, and it is the same with adults.
This is why more and more schools are using audio textbooks in the classroom as teaching aids. Additionally, with audio textbook downloads now available online, it is more cost effective than ever to add the audio to the visual word.
