I am going to confess that I used to be a book snob and I thought that listening to an audiobook- or “ear-reading” was cheating. But all my pre-conceived notions of “real reading” went out the window when my son was diagnosed with dyslexia and when I actually took some time to research ear-reading. So let’s just get it out there that ear-reading is real reading!
It is so important for reluctant readers, children reading below grade level, and dyslexic students to be exposed to books at their intellectual level. This helps them to obtain new vocabulary and to gain general knowledge about the world around them.
My son struggles with eye reading but I wanted him to love books so I made it a point to read to him. Every. Single. Night. My kids would not go to sleep unless I read to them. But I sound like a robot with a crackly sore throat chicken-voice. I don’t know what a robot chicken voice sounds like but trust me, it’s bad. We had read the first three Harry Potter books and I was planning to read ahead to make sure the rest were age appropriate. Then I had PRK surgery (basically LASIK) and my eyes were completely swollen shut and felt like someone rubbed them with sandpaper. I couldn’t do anything but lay in bed. No reading, no TV, no opening my eyes. So I downloaded the audio version of the next Harry Potter book. If you haven’t listened to Jim Dale read Harry Potter you are missing out. He brings those books to life with his different voices and characters.. I though, why am I making my kids suffer though my horrid reading when they could be listening to this masterpiece. And that is where our audiobook journey started.
We mostly listen in the car to and from school (45 minutes each way) and on road trips. In the past 2 years, my son has listened to almost 200 chapter books. I think that officially qualifies him as a book nerd. There is absolutely no way he could eye-read this much content and no way I could read that many books out loud. With about 6 grade levels difference between his reading level and listening comprehension level, the potential for boredom with eye-reading is so high. So, yes, we practice the eye-reading at his reading level but the bulk of his reading is audio books.
I think that we have fostered such a love of books that once his dyslexia is remediated he might gravitate toward eye-reading. But if he always prefers audio that’s fine too. There are so many different audiobook services out there that I know he will always be able to find what he is looking for. I have listed our favorite resources.
Do you listen to audiobooks on a platform that I haven’t listed? Or do you use one of the ones below? Drop a comment below and let me know!
Audible
Audible is probably the best know source for audiobooks. For $14.95/month you get one credit per month which equates to about one book. For $22.95 you get two credits. With the membership you also get 30% off of any non-credit titles you want to buy. Or you can just buy books as you want them, without a discount.
Audible’s production quality is top notch! The Harry Potter Series narrated by Jim Dale is absolutely outstanding and we have listened to many other titles that are narrated to perfection. Click here for some of our favorites.
You will hear a lot of familiar voices because often actors and actresses narrate books on audible and there are often several readers and sound effects.
The drawback for us is the price. I haven’t calculated how much 200 audiobooks on audible would cost but I think it’s pretty close to a fortune. However, we do occasionally join audible if there is a particular book that we want to listen to. You do get to keep the books forever, even after you cancel your membership.
Google Play and iTunes
Google Play and iTunes both have tons and tons of audiobooks titles in their non-subscription service. Like, Audible, the audiobooks on Google Play and iTunes are high quality narrations. There are often deals and sales on audio books on both platforms so it is definitely worth shopping around.
Once again, if you are reading tons of audiobooks buying them on Google Play and iTunes can get expensive. So if you are on a budget you might want to shop the discounted books and try to avoid new releases which tend to be more expensive.
Scribd
Scribd is another subscription-based audiobook (and ebook) platform. What we love about Scribd is that you get unlimited audio and ebooks for $8/month. Scribd has robust content, although maybe not as much as Audible. While your aren’t limited by the number of credits you have, Scribd operates more like a lending library and you don’t own the audiobooks that you download. Once you cancel your subscription, you no longer have access to audiobooks or ebooks.
Despite not being able to keep you books, I think Scribd is a great option, especially for kids who are going to eventually outgrow their books.
Overdrive & Libby
Overdrive and Libby are audiobooks services through your local library. You just download the apps on your phone, search for your library, and enter your library card number. You then have access to many audiobooks. Like physical books that you check out, each audiobook only has a certain number of copies. If the book is popular you might find yourself on the waiting list. Also, you only have a limited amount of time to read the book before it is “due” but there are no overdue charges since the books just becomes inaccessible after the due date. The major plus for these services are that they are totally free! So if you don’t mind having to sometimes wait for a title and don’t want to pay a lot for audiobooks, Overdrive and Libby might be the service for you. At the very least, it might be worth it to check to see if a book is available here before you spend money.
Hoopla
Hoopla is also an audiobook service through the library which includes other content like, video, ebooks, comic books, music, and TV shows. Just download the Hoopla app, search for your library and enter your library card number you have instant access to available audiobooks. With Hoopla you are limited to a certain number of titles across all of their media choices each month and you can only take titles out for a certain number of days. And again,,,,waiting lists. But it is free and that is a major bonus.
Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a unique subscription audiobook service exclusively for people with print disabilities like blindness, dyslexia, or specific learning disabilities in reading. Learning Ally is $135/year but they often run a Black Friday and beginning of the school year sale. Once you purchase your Learning Ally subscription you have to send in proof of your print disability for approval.
There is never a waiting list for the books and you can have as many as you want on your bookshelf at one time but once you cancel your subscription you no longer have access to the books.
The thing that we absolutely love about Learning Ally is along with the audio you also get an ebook with the words highlighted as the audio plays so you can follow along. The ebook is available with most titles, but not all. I would guess that 95% of the books we have listened to on Learning Ally have an accompanying ebook. Learning Ally books are all read by volunteers and we are incredibly grateful for their time and dedication. For the most part you aren’t going to get Audible quality reading but my son never complains about the quality. I think it’s also important to et him used to different reading styles and voices because if he needs to listen to text books he is going to be stuck with what is available. No way is Jim Dale reading Fundamentals in Chemistry Vol. 1.
As a side note – many schools purchase a Learning Ally subscription for their dyslexic students. A few states, including Florida, have grants which provides Learning Ally for free to public schools in those states. So check out the Learning Ally website to see if your state has a grant and tell your IEP team that you want access to this amazing service.
Bookshare
Bookshare is also for individuals with print disabilities. Bookshare is completely free but the reading voices are computer generated. Many people have reported that they use an app called Voice Dream Reader which changes the computer voice in bookshare. Dream Reader has over 200 voices to pick from and can be purchased for $9.99.
Just one last note. All of these platforms have the option to increase the reading speed. I find the normal speed to be slow and cumbersome. We slowly started increasing the speed to get our ears used to a faster pace and now we listen to most books at 1.5 to 2 times the speed.
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