Too Many Books, Too Little Time: Adding Audio to Your Homeschool

It is ironic that the advent of the audio book online has not fully replaced printed books. Instead audio books have only highlighted the joy we get from books in general. They have become a part of our homeschool and looking back, I can’t imagine our home without them.

Anyone who doubts that it is possible to truly appreciate a novel by listening, rather than physically reading need only watch my daughter on a quiet afternoon. With audio books, she’s transported into the world of Oz or go exploring Peter and Wendy or discover new adventures alongside Tigger and Pooh.

A Part of Our Homeschool Day

The best thing about audio books is that is too much less effort than it is to read. You can do other things while you have and audio book on, much like listening to music, such as driving or doing the household chores. Audio books are especially great for long trips. Many families have extended their home school into their car. For us, its long trips on the train or on the ferry when we go into town.

Another added benefit of online audio books is the easy downloading. There’s no shipping charges or trips to the shops to keep our audio library up-to-date. I recommend Audible because you can Get A Free Audiobook Download with a 30 Day Trial. – and they have over 100,000 titles. I highly recommend Green Eggs and Ham Audio Book. This one has been a favorite in our home. Belle loves to listen and follow along with her copy.

History Repeats Itself

My mother’s generation had grown up listening to stories told on the radio. She was more than willing to listen to audio books online – in fact, she found it a pleasure as she could sit quite comfortably, do her cross stitch or even do the gardening while she listens to the recordings.

Today, the audio book concept has embraced leading edge technology which has made the product much more accessible to the general public than ever before. The vast array of audio books available can now be easily downloaded from the web and its formats incorporated into any digital listening device such as cell phones, MP3 players and iPods. In view of this, it is highly likely that the next generation might even gain an appreciation for a classical authors such as Jane Austen or William Shakespeare.