Reading is one of the ways children make sense of the world. Stories teach empathy and conversation skills, forming the core foundation of a child’s education. So, the 2024 findings by the National Literacy Trust, that only one in three children and young adults read for pleasure in their free time last year, the lowest since the survey began in 2005, were met with shock.
Children’s reading habits are about more than just literacy, and doing well at school. Of those surveyed by the National Literacy Trust who read in their spare time, more than half said it helped them relax, about 50 percent said it helped them learn new things, and almost a third said it helped them understand the views of others and learn about other cultures.
Reading does not have to take place in isolation, though. Research shows children improve their vocabulary when being read to, or even listening to audiobooks. The Child Mind Institute has found that listening to stories will help children develop language skills by exposing them to a larger number of words, helping with pronunciation and aiding in comprehension. In essence, audiobooks can teach children how to become fluent readers.
Audiobooks are also a key tool in assisting struggling readers, such as those with dyslexia. This format will allow these children to continue learning new words and gaining knowledge; it is a way to ensure children with learning difficulties are not left behind. This digital form of reading is now being considered so important, that the National Literacy Trust is urging the UK government to add audiobooks to the school curriculum, as more children are turning to consuming content through listening. The NLT’s Jonathan Douglas, told The Guardian, “By working together to leverage children and young people’s enthusiasm for audio, we can play an important role in growing a generation of readers and turning the page on the nation’s reading for pleasure crisis.”
More than that, audiobooks can teach children emotional awareness and strengthen the parent-child bond. It is about parents spending quality, uninterrupted time with their children through sharing something fun. Yet, according to a 2023 study by Penguin Books, 75% of parents wished they had more time to read to their children. In between late meetings, unexpected work calls and long commutes, pressure mounts to spend time at the end of the day reading to your child.
That is where audiobooks, and specifically, personalised audiobooks can assist. Your children can hear your voice reading to them, even when you cannot be there. Personalised content, specifically, has an impact on preschool children’s lexicon. A 2014 study revealed that children exhibited significantly better knowledge of words embedded in the personalised sections of books compared to non-personalised sections, and recording personalised audiobooks makes it even easier to achieve this.
A small voice sample from a parent, or even grandparent, is enough to create a story that lets your children bond with you and improve reading skills, even when you cannot be present. Dudley Editions has a wide range of children’s stories and books available to choose from. Personalised audiobooks enable you to be there, when you’re not. Your voice matters to your children; let them hear it.