Kim Clynch is a teacher of 7th and 8th grade reading at Harleton Junior High (1st-12th
grade readers) in northeast Texas. Harleton ISD was rated Exemplary by TEA for
1999-2000 (TAAS scores) and earned special recognition in reading.
I use audiobooks with my reading classes in the following variety of ways:
- Reading a novel with the entire class
This allows ALL students to read a grade-level novel together.
- Dyslexic students
Audiobooks
allow dyslexic students to read more and to read at their age and interest level.
It reduces the frustration and fatigue dyslexic students often experience when
reading. Audiobooks, as with other students, should be used in addition to independent
reading.
- Low-level readers
Audiobooks allow them to read books like everyone else is reading. They
also improve comprehension and increase many students' interest in reading.
- Reluctant readers
Audiobooks
provide another voice to keep them interested, keeps them moving at an even pace,
and often encourages them to read a longer book than they would read by themselves.
 IT
WORKS!
One student I've had a great amount of success with was a reluctant, dyslexic
reader who came into junior high with a 3rd grade reading level and a talent for
procrastination. He was extremely quiet, and had a lot of difficulty in all of
his classes. After 8 weeks of success with audiobooks, his confidence and interest
in school improved drastically! By the end of the 8th grade, he was an excellent
student, reading on grade level, and often helping others. I think he read every
audiobook we have, and was ready for more. His attendance also improved dramatically
as his confidence grew. He is in high school now, doing well, and enjoying school.
I really feel that audiobooks gave him the confidence he needed to be successful
in school!
IT
WORKS!
Another student positively affected by audio books is "Carrie". Carrie came to
me with a first grade reading level and very low comprehension skills. She could
barely read low-level books, (but enjoyed carrying large, high-level books she
could not read from class to class). After talking her into trying audiobooks,
her comprehension level has improved. She had read great books such as Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry, The Wizard of Oz, Charlottes Web, and many others that she
could not have read alone. She can almost always be seen with headphones around
her neck, carrying her book, tapes, and player. Recently, she took an AR test
on a 1-point book with a reading level of 5.2 and made a 70 - we were thrilled!
She has come a long way in just one school year!
IT
WORKS!
"Terry" is an example of a student with comprehension problems, even though she
has little problems with decoding. She had failed our TAAS test each year she
had taken it. She started using audiobooks about the middle of 7th grade. Despite
some success with them, Terry failed 7th grade as well as the 7th grade TAAS reading
test. She continued to use audiobooks however, and I saw her comprehension skills
gradually improve. She continued to work hard, becoming very enthusiastic about
audio books and reading in general. Terry failed the TAAS reading test in the
7th grade again, but came much closer to passing. Finally, in the 8th grade, she
was successful on the TAAS reading test! I also saw a huge improvement in her
reading ability. She became very efficient at reading both fiction and nonfiction
and also improved in her other classes, as well, and went on to high school where
she is doing well.
What do my students
say about using audiobooks? See for yourself...
"Audio books help
me understand the book better!"
"The reader reads faster, so I can enjoy
the book better!"
"They go my speed!"
"I love hearing the different
voices for the characters!"
"I like them because you don't have to read by
yourself!"
"If I was reading alone, I would most likely get off task A LOT!"
"Audio books help me keep up with the class!"
"More exciting!"
"FUN!"
"Helps you recognize words!"
"Helps me visualize what's happening!"
and problems to be aware of...
- I have had minimal success with small-group listening. My "rowdier"
students do better alone. Students sometimes get impatient with or distract each
other. Absences also cause a problem with small-group listening.
- My upper level readers are sometimes frustrated with the speed of the reading.
They do well, however, if the book is at a difficult level for them to read alone.
- Although this is a rare problem because so many students are using
audiobooks at our high school, I have had a few students who do not want to listen
to audio books if others can see them. I encourage them to read short books at
school (in their range) and try audiobooks at home. This has been successful with
some. (Our library has a wonderful supply of Walkman-type cassette players, which
students think is cool!)
There doesn't seem to be a preferred genre to which
the kids gravitate, although we have more fiction available on tape. Once students
start to enjoy audio books, they seem to be open to any genre! Audiobooks open
up their horizons.
TIPS:
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- Be excited
about the books (and reading in general)
- Help
them choose books they'll like
- Encourage
students to follow along in the book
- Talk
with students about the books they're reading
| To
summarize... The
use of audiobooks has given me more power to motivate students to enjoy reading!
- it opens up a world of reading to students who have not yet learned what a joy
it can be! I have seen many former struggling readers use audiobooks and become
enthusiastic readers, branching into other genres, longer books, and new authors.
Audio books serve as a wonderful tool for the Reading/Language Arts
teacher!
You may e-mail Kim Clynch at: kimclynch@usa.net
 EDUCATORS:
If you make good use of audiobooks in your approach
to education and feel you have some good tips and inspiration to pass on to others,
would you like to be considered for our Educator of the Month feature?
If so, contact Heather Frederick, Publisher at Audio Bookshelf at 1-800-234-1713
or audiobooks@prexar.com
We want to honor you!
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