Tuesday 28 March 2017

Top 10 audiobooks for young learners

I'm a huge fan of Audio books by Audible .
I especially love listening to Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon . I'm up to Book 5 , each book is over 40hrs.

Everyday I walk , listening to pass the miles. I listen while I iron (not so often) and even while cooking. I love the Scottish accents as well .

When I was asked to share my experience and introduce my boys to the love of  being read to by someone other than me - I jumped at the opportunity.
Books being read aloud can help develop better listening skills and help children learn punctuation, enunciation, and emphasis. 

Top 10 audiobooks for young learners (Stage 1-2)

  1. The BFG

  2. Written by Roald Dahl, Narrated by David Walliams
  1. The Tale of Desperaux
Written by Kate Di Camillo, Narrated by Graeme Malcolm

  1. Alice-Miranda series
Written and Narrated by Jacqueline Harvey

  1. The Jungle Book
Written by Rudyard Kipling, Narrated by Bill Bailey, Richard E. Grant, Colin Salmon, Tim McInnerny, Bernard Cribbins, Celia Imrie, Martin Shaw

  1. Peter Pan
Written by J. M. Barrie, Narrated by Lily Collins

  1. Matilda
Written by Roald Dahl, Narrated by Kate Winslet

  1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  2. Written by Lewis Carroll, Narrated by Scarlett Johansson

  1. Anne of Green Gables
Written by L. M. Montgomery, Narrated by Kate Burton

  1. Hating Alison Ashley
Written by Robin Klein, Narrated by Felicity Price

  1. The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
Written by C.S. Lewis, Narrated by Maurice Denham, Richard Griffiths, Martin Jarvis, Sylvester McCoy, John Sessions, Fiona Shaw and Timothy Spall 

We have so far listened to BFG , The Jungle Book and Harry Potter has just started.

Being Cub Scouts they loved the Jungle Book and it's cheeky characters - who their leaders base their names upon. The Jungle Book came to be used as a motivational book by the Cub Scouts movement many years ago.

The animal characters having human characteristics to give moral lessons. The "man-cub" Mowgli, who was raised in the jungle by wolves is a the main character having many adventures and lots of mayhem.

Who doesn't love BFG - (Big Friendly Giant) ... In The BFG,  Sophie (a young orphan in orphanage) meets the BFG one night when she can't sleep. BFG takes her back to his cave, where Sophie meets nine other giants, all of whom eat humans. Sophie and the BFG plot to stop the giants - so they go to the Queen of England, who traps the giants in a pit.


Audio books are great way for young learners to listen to curriculum content together as a family and talk about favourite chapters. 

So many classics and new favourites. So little time for reading aloud.The boys and I enjoyed these brilliantly read books, with a greater range of voices and expression than I can muster. Reading is at a very good pace and you just want to hear more! (Audible does me a choice to speed it up)

It's been useful to wind them down before they go to sleep especially when their eyes are tired after a long day of school and mum is losing her voice or patience.

Twinion 2 - said he likes Audio books because he hates reading in the car but long road trips can be monotonous.

Twinion 1 - loves the dramatic voices and wants to move onto '57 chapter' books.

Many children understand language above their reading age , through listening they learn new words and advanced constructs when listening to a familiar story.

I learnt quite a few new words myself.

Anne of Green Gables is my next choice , not sure the boys will join me though...

Have you a favourite story ?