Please explain best approach to trying out Audible to me.

[Pen]

How do you all do Audible if you do?

 

Are there plans that allow unlimited downloads?

 

If I try it, I see on Amazon an offer for a free month with 2 free books.

 

OTOH, I see on other forum here an offer for 3 months at $1.95 per month, but apparently (?) no free books, which seems like it might not be as good a way to try it, if, as it appears to me taking a glance, books typically are around $30+ each.

 

How do you do this?

 

How many books do you find yourself getting per month?   If you have Learning Ally, NLS, and/or Bookshare do you check to see what one of these has first? Or?

[maize]

Your subscription buys credits, usually one or two a month though there is also an option to buy 12 or 24 at a time. Most books, even if they are listed at $30, can be paid for with 1 credit. So a 3-month subscription at $1.95 per month would get you three audiobooks. A regular 1 credit subscription at (I think?) $12.95 a month gets you one book a month; additionally, audible often runs subscriber only sales where books are greatly reduced in price. The audiobooks are yours to keep, even if you cancel your subscription (you can keep an active account and still access books online as well as any you have downloaded without an active subscription account).

[Pen]

Your subscription buys credits, usually one or two a month though there is also an option to buy 12 or 24 at a time. Most books, even if they are listed at $30, can be paid for with 1 credit. So a 3-month subscription at $1.95 per month would get you three audiobooks. A regular 1 credit subscription at (I think?) $12.95 a month gets you one book a month; additionally, audible often runs subscriber only sales where books are greatly reduced in price. The audiobooks are yours to keep, even if you cancel your subscription (you can keep an active account and still access books online as well as any you have downloaded without an active subscription account).

 

AHA! I am starting to catch on, I think.  The regular price, so far as I can tell...and maybe it is like airline seats where everyone sees different deals, but anyway, looks like $14.95/month.

 

So the $1.95 special does look like a good deal if it includes 3 books. I'll have to try to contact them and see if that is so.

[PeterPan]

Yes, they're running some really good sign-up deals right now!  I have mine set to do 2 credits a month.  The nice thing about maintaining a balance of at least 4 is they send you extra nifty deals every so often.  Actually, you get TONS of deals with audible.  Like constant deals.  And I feel like by doing the constant credits monthly I'm giving myself permission to buy books with them, rather than talking myself out of them the way you would if you didn't already have the credits.  I find so many deals, it usually works out pretty well, with me able to maintain a balance and get deals.  In reality of lot of what I get is with the $1.99 and $2.99 sales.  

 

Remember too to check for what happens if you buy the kindle version!  If you own the kindle version (or get it through the library) for a book that has whispersync, it will offer you the audio version at a reduced rate.  Never click and use a credit without checking that first.  A lot of classics are available for free or a pittance.  

 

What I love my credits for are the expensive things, like the entire series of something.  Like I just got the whole dramatized NKJV for my ds for 1 credit.  90 hours!!  That's awesome.  

 

[FairProspects]

Mine is set at 2 credits a month too. Sometimes I buy the books without my credits if there is a good deal and I've only purchased additional credits once. Between member sales/deals and 2 per month, it works out well for us.

[Pen]

... A lot of classics are available for free or a pittance.  

 

...

 

 

 

Any particularly wonderfully read ones to suggest?

 

I'm thinking to go ahead and try it tomorrow. Probably getting a history as our first "free" book (probably SWB's History of the Middle Ages, but maybe a Will Durant book that covers same period), and maybe we'd try a not too pricey classic also to have both fiction and non-fiction as a trial experience.

 

 

I see a some books on Amazon allow sampling the audible--SWB: yes, Durant: no.   The reader can make a huge difference.

 

 

 

The dramatized Bible would be one I'd be interested in letting my ds hear a sample of, if available, to decide if he'd like it.  90 hours gives a lot of listening time! I have had Bible recordings in past, but they were not very well read. Reminds me of when library loans from school library only allowed 1 book over Winter break and some of us would choose a book to take home according to what would last the longest.

[PeterPan]

You should be able to hear samples for every audiobook you're considering.  I agree, keep switching till you find a narrator you like for the book!

 

No, no don't just buy things you didn't really want to try!  On the Kindle Whispersync page they always have a link for a free audiobook of the month to go with an ebook.

 

Here are some links to get you started.  Just snoop around, hehe.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_5?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A155189011%2Ck%3Awhispersync+books%2Cp_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A6577679011&keywords=whispersync+books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418829389&rnid=133141011 If you click this then click say The Secret Garden, you'll see that when you click to buy the free ebook it offers you the audio for $2.99.  If you click to buy the free ebook and then go to audible, it will be offered to you at that same price ($2.99).  Be super careful when you check out on audible, because the scoundrels are happy to use one of your credits to buy a book, even if they would have sold it to you for $2.99!  So you definitely have to watch that.  I just like the continuity.  I always check when I'm looking on audible to see if it's cheaper to buy the ebook and then get the discounted audio rather than using a credit to buy just the audio.  Make sense?  

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000827761 Phantom of the Opera is free this month for the ebook and audio.

 

Here's the link for that audio bible.  http://www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Spirituality/The-Word-of-Promise-Complete-Audio-Bible-NKJV-Audiobook/B003UC45I8

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

I can address the bookshare/learning ally/NLS end of things. (And OhE, now that your ds is "officially" dyslexic--get the paperwork signed and get him signed up!)

 

So, as you know:
NLS has a limited number of books available through your state. Because these are free to you, it is worth checking out.  Our state has a limited selection, and we almost never find what we want here. (Our state pushes carrying braille books for those <18).

 

Learning Ally's selection carries books with human voices. They have more books than NLS, but one has to pay an annual fee to join.  When we did the overall perusal of their catalog, I couldn't justify the fee for for a yearly subscription....because they didn't have the titles that I would choose to buy if I was choosing a subscription service. (Learning Ally is $140 year---compare that to $14.95/month for 1 credit or $22.95 for two credits a month.)

 

Bookshare is "free" to k-12 students (thank you, tax dollars). The voices are typically mechanical.  There is a HUGE selection of titles, and most importantly, if a book has not been made available, you can request it to be made available. That said, it is difficult to find things like the Great Courses here as they are not individual book titles, but rather audio lectures.

 

For me, one of the key reasons I use audible is to get the Great Courses material at a significant discount.

 

So, at my house right now, I have ds who is print disabled listening to a cartridge from NLS and a bookshare web reader direct play, and I'm listening to an audible that I am screening for my ds who is not print disabled.

[LaughingCat]

I believe if you are getting the whispersync deal then if you click on the "buy it now for $x" on Amazon it won't try to use your credits (if you want to use your credits I think you have to actually go to Audible).

 

Also, when I first signed up for Audible I saw something online saying - when your 'cheap' subscription is up, then if you quit your Audible subscription you will get an offer for another cheap subscription for another couple months - so I did that (it's like the 2nd or 3rd question --    somewhere out there in the web it shows the exact questions you get).   [i thought I posted that yesterday - but not seeing it in the thread]

[FairProspects]

I can address the bookshare/learning ally/NLS end of things. (And OhE, now that your ds is "officially" dyslexic--get the paperwork signed and get him signed up!)

 

So, as you know:

NLS has a limited number of books available through your state. Because these are free to you, it is worth checking out.  Our state has a limited selection, and we almost never find what we want here. (Our state pushes carrying braille books for those <18).

 

Learning Ally's selection carries books with human voices. They have more books than NLS, but one has to pay an annual fee to join.  When we did the overall perusal of their catalog, I couldn't justify the fee for for a yearly subscription....because they didn't have the titles that I would choose to buy if I was choosing a subscription service. (Learning Ally is $140 year---compare that to $14.95/month for 1 credit or $22.95 for two credits a month.)

 

Bookshare is "free" to k-12 students (thank you, tax dollars). The voices are typically mechanical.  There is a HUGE selection of titles, and most importantly, if a book has not been made available, you can request it to be made available. That said, it is difficult to find things like the Great Courses here as they are not individual book titles, but rather audio lectures.

 

For me, one of the key reasons I use audible is to get the Great Courses material at a significant discount.

 

So, at my house right now, I have ds who is print disabled listening to a cartridge from NLS and a bookshare web reader direct play, and I'm listening to an audible that I am screening for my ds who is not print disabled.

 

I respectfully disagree with the bolded. We find Learning Ally to be an invaluable resource and completely worth the annual fee. Granted, I do have 2 dyslexics that use it. My younger ds in particular likes older books and series most of which are not available as audiobooks on Audible and are definitely not Whisper-sync titles. With Learning Ally, I can get Reading Immersion capabilities on almost every children's book he or I want. My boys are still younger and neither one likes the mechanical voices of Bookshare at all. I will probably assign Bookshare books as they get older because they need to get used to it, but for now we love Learning Ally.

[PeterPan]

FP, I know I looked at the different non-audible options and they're all swirled in my mind.  Somehow I didn't catch that LA would work for immersion reading.  Exactly how does that work?  It goes through a LA app?  Or they send you a file that works in your audible app with your amazon ebook?  

 

And yes, my ds is pretty clearly stuck on having professional readers he likes right now.  

[Timberly]

.

[FairProspects]

FP, I know I looked at the different non-audible options and they're all swirled in my mind.  Somehow I didn't catch that LA would work for immersion reading.  Exactly how does that work?  It goes through a LA app?  Or they send you a file that works in your audible app with your amazon ebook?  

 

And yes, my ds is pretty clearly stuck on having professional readers he likes right now.  

 

We access it through an app on iPad. LA has been upgrading all their titles to Immersion Reading style with text. It doesn't work exactly like Immersion Reading in that it highlights the paragraph being read instead of the individual word, but it is visual enough that ds can easily follow along with it. You load books on LA on your bookshelf via computer/web and then you can download them to your device within the app.

[PeterPan]

We access it through an app on iPad. LA has been upgrading all their titles to Immersion Reading style with text. It doesn't work exactly like Immersion Reading in that it highlights the paragraph being read instead of the individual word, but it is visual enough that ds can easily follow along with it. You load books on LA on your bookshelf via computer/web and then you can download them to your device within the app.

So LA now *provides* the text along with the audio?  Awesome, wow.

 

And Timberly thanks for sharing about NLS/Bard.  I'm not sure I've seen that one, so I clearly need to do more looking.  That sounds like an amazing resource!

[FairProspects]

So LA now *provides* the text along with the audio?  Awesome, wow.

 

And Timberly thanks for sharing about NLS/Bard.  I'm not sure I've seen that one, so I clearly need to do more looking.  That sounds like an amazing resource!

 

Yes, LA provides the text. Sometimes it even has the illustrations, but sometimes it does not.

[Pen]

If one gets a  Kindle book, does it give pictures, maps, graphs and so on, or just the text?

 

I had let my LA subscription lapse due to cost, and did not know that it now has text too. That is interesting!

 

I only ever got it as cassette tapes or discs due to our computer limitations. Some readers are very good, and some are not. It is variable. NLS readers are consistently good, and it sounds like that is also true for Audible, maybe even more so for Audible. I noticed when I tried listening to some sample today that the Audible Ranger's Apprentice reader is the same as on CD set we borrowed from library. There were a number of Phantom of the Opera books on Audible and I tried listening to the samples of all to see how they were--none seemed as good to me as the Ranger's Apprentice reader, but all were professional sounding.

 

I'm thinking Audible may be the best thing that has happened for our homeschool since I discovered Netflix!  Except that I didn't actually succeed in getting it earlier today. But I am making progress!

[OneStepAtATime]

Kindle HD does have the pictures/maps/etc.  I haven't checked every book, obviously, but the ones we have gotten that had pictures, etc. were included in DS's Kindle HDX and I have heard the Kindle HD has them.  I don't know if you can zoom in to see something better or not.  DS and I haven't tried that yet.

 

But even my really ancient, early paperwhite Kindle sometimes has images included.  They are not great, though.

[PeterPan]

Oh Pen, you're too funny!  That's what I do too, researching and then not actually getting it done, lol.  Oh well, we'll figure it out!

 

You mentioned computer cost.  I use an ipad but for my ds I got a kindle hdx 7" based on OneStep's comments.  I think her ds may use the larger size and of course that would be cool too.  I picked it up for a great price on ebay.  When an ipad costs $400 and a kindle can be had for $120-130, that's a huge difference!  And it's shocking to me what all this 7" kindle thing can do.  You have the amazon app store *and* I found a way (via another app and some videos online where you jiggle your noise and say POOF a couple times) to get other apps to work on it.  I have no clue what I'm talking about, lol.

 

So now I'm wondering if the Learning Ally and NLS/BARD will work on android and kindle?  Dunno, but Kindle is a seriously great pricepoint for a lot of product.  If you want even smaller form factor, you could look for an unlocked amazon fire phone.  Or of course an ipod touch.  Didn't somebody say in another thread that right now you can get into an ipod touch (4th gen) for $89?  Then he could slide it in his pocket and have audio all day long.  

 

Once you get a device, I think you'll find yourself finding other uses.  If your dc has EF deficits, you might like to put schedules, alarms, whatever on the ipod.  

[LaughingCat]

the only thing about pictures is sometimes the picture does not show up on the same page as the text -- even if it does in the regular book (We have the old Kindle Fire (non HD) but I think this is due to how the book is formatted not the Kindle you have)

[FairProspects]

Unfortunately LA does not currently work on Kindle. I have some convoluted system that translates EPUB files to MOBI and then it can be put onto Kindle, but really it is just a big hassle. For us at least, it was worth it to invest in at least one Apple device in addition to the Kindles so we can access everything easily.

[PeterPan]

FP, I got it to work!!!!!!  You CAN get LA on your kindle!!  You have to sideload it by skipping the amazon app store.  Here's a link  http://www.lovemyfire.com/google-play-apps-on-kindle-fire-exclusive.html I just did it with LA and it worked fine.  I did it with another app a while back.  If you follow her steps *precisely* it works.  

 

So now we just need to get that documentation from the psych and get this going!  Anyways, that's the Learning Ally Audio app.  Does it require another app from them to do the immersion reading or is it all in the one app?  It should work with any free android app.  

[Pen]

I am now signed up on Audible for the trial special... next step is to figure out what to use my credit on, and also I will try this month's free Phantom of the Opera OE linked--which will be our first ever Kindle book experience.

 

I am thinking for the credit to get one of the world history books that we have been slowly working through at 2 pages per day.  

 

Actually, The Penguin History of the World, 2014 edition  is not available on Audible but a 1993 version is. Probably LA has it in our version, but it is the sort of thing that is likely to be poorly read, and I won't restart up LA until there are a few things I think we can get and use with good reading on them.  

 

I don't suppose anyone with LA currently working has tried the 2014 version of The Penguin History of the World (or any version, ideally more recent than 1993) if they have it and can speak to whether it is well read or not?  Or would be willing to get it and try it and let me know about the reading quality?  It is an excellent one volume (long!) world history...not suited to YE people probably, since it starts back in the millions of years ago range at least briefly--unless you skipped those parts.

 

The other main possibility is SWB's The History of _______ , but there I am not sure if it makes more sense to use the credit, or to try it as a Kindle + Audible version. For the Ancient one, I already own the hardcover.  I am not sure if just Audible audio is good enough because of maps and so on. 

 

Opinions?

[FairProspects]

The newest version of Penguin History of the World I see on LA is 2007. But for something like a textbook, I'd be really inclined to use Bookshare with VoiceDream anyway. I don't really plan on using LA for textbooks, just for fiction works for pleasure reading.

[OneStepAtATime]

I use an ipad but for my ds I got a kindle hdx 7" based on OneStep's comments.  I think her ds may use the larger size and of course that would be cool too.  

 

 

 

Actually, we got him the 7".  It was on a huge local Christmas sale last year.  He loves how portable it is.  I think the bigger one would have been o.k. but the 7" is perfect.  It fits in the front pocket of his backpack.  Also, he has coordination issues and is known to drop things.  He dropped DH's I-Pad once.  DH was not happy.  The 7" Kindle has been a blessing.  The case we got him is really rugged and easy to hold onto and the size is perfect for him.  :)

[Pen]

The newest version of Penguin History of the World I see on LA is 2007. But for something like a textbook, I'd be really inclined to use Bookshare with VoiceDream anyway. I don't really plan on using LA for textbooks, just for fiction works for pleasure reading.

 

It isn't really a textbook, more like SOTW in that it reads like a story, though it keeps more to fact and does not stop to recount a tale. It has less of non-European parts of world than does SWB's Norton series, but more on culture, arts, science than SWB's does. It's sort of like a newer version of Will and Ariel Durant's type of writing, but more introductory, far less scope than an 11 or 12 volume work. A good reader who could sort of make it "come alive" would make a big difference.

 

I never tried Bookshare due to not tending to do well with computer voices here. (Also the issue of not having high speed connection to get it, but I seem to be working that out by going to the library as needed, so I guess that would work for BkShr too.)

 

What is VoiceDream? Does that make it a better listening experience than usual computer voice generation?

 

I just realized that my Learning Ally digital player may also work for various other systems. I'll have to check that. I never really got the hang of it even for LA and have just been using CD discs so far.

[PeterPan]

The newest version of Penguin History of the World I see on LA is 2007. But for something like a textbook, I'd be really inclined to use Bookshare with VoiceDream anyway. I don't really plan on using LA for textbooks, just for fiction works for pleasure reading.

Ok, my head is spinning!  Bookshare and VoiceDream?  Why is that better with texts and Learning Ally with fiction?

 

I need more chocolate.

[Pen]

Oh Pen, you're too funny!  That's what I do too, researching and then not actually getting it done, lol.  Oh well, we'll figure it out!

 

You mentioned computer cost.  I use an ipad but for my ds I got a kindle hdx 7" based on OneStep's comments.  I think her ds may use the larger size and of course that would be cool too.  I picked it up for a great price on ebay.  When an ipad costs $400 and a kindle can be had for $120-130, that's a huge difference!  And it's shocking to me what all this 7" kindle thing can do.  You have the amazon app store *and* I found a way (via another app and some videos online where you jiggle your noise and say POOF a couple times) to get other apps to work on it.  I have no clue what I'm talking about, lol.

 

So now I'm wondering if the Learning Ally and NLS/BARD will work on android and kindle?  Dunno, but Kindle is a seriously great pricepoint for a lot of product.  If you want even smaller form factor, you could look for an unlocked amazon fire phone.  Or of course an ipod touch.  Didn't somebody say in another thread that right now you can get into an ipod touch (4th gen) for $89?  Then he could slide it in his pocket and have audio all day long.  

 

Once you get a device, I think you'll find yourself finding other uses.  If your dc has EF deficits, you might like to put schedules, alarms, whatever on the ipod.  

 

 

If I'd had this post earlier, I might have saved myself some research time!

 

We now have the Audible trial membership and devices to use--actually we did have devices, I just did not understand that what we already had will work. According to my call to Audible, even the computer I am now on can do it, though that may not be ideal in terms of portability.

 

Now I think we may even have another device which is our Learning Ally digital player may be able to do Kindle, Audible etc, just as you found that your Kindle can do LA. Although, it is quite small, that would not be so good for text if it can get text.

 

Next time we are at library, I will be getting our first Audible (and probably Kindle too) downloads to try.

[FairProspects]

Ok, my head is spinning!  Bookshare and VoiceDream?  Why is that better with texts and Learning Ally with fiction?

 

I need more chocolate.

 

Chocolate away!

 

VoiceDream is an app that has a variety of humanistic text-to-speech reading voices. We have played around with the different selections and found a male and female voice that the kids prefer. It is not as good as a talented voice actor or reader, but much better than the traditional computerized voice.

 

Bookshare is better IMHO for non-fiction texts because the goal is just to get the information in your head to analyze in discussion or in writing, not to dwell on any inherent emotional contexts or nuances that would be better conveyed by an actor, like in a narrative. You just don't necessarily need or want the interpretation of a reader or actor with non-fiction because *you* are supposed to do the analysis and actively engage with the text. It is just a different style of reading than a narrative, fiction work where there are subplots, subtexts, multiple characters and relevant or non-relevant details to organize in your brain. A good voice actor or reader can really help the listener suss out all those minute actions and plot points, which aids in the comprehension of fiction works. This aspect isn't required to successfully study non-fiction textbooks.

 

Bookshare's catalog of titles is huge, plus there is the ability to port Bookshare text straight into VoiceDream and speed the text up to the same rate of reading as a NT reader working without audio support. So for us at least, the plan is to use readers/voice actors for fiction & novel studies and Bookshare/Voicedream for textbook work.

[PeterPan]

Thank you for that explanation, FP!!!  :)

[Pen]

Chocolate away!

 

VoiceDream is an app that has a variety of humanistic text-to-speech reading voices. We have played around with the different selections and found a male and female voice that the kids prefer. It is not as good as a talented voice actor or reader, but much better than the traditional computerized voice.

 

Bookshare is better IMHO for non-fiction texts because the goal is just to get the information in your head to analyze in discussion or in writing, not to dwell on any inherent emotional contexts or nuances that would be better conveyed by an actor, like in a narrative. You just don't necessarily need or want the interpretation of a reader or actor with non-fiction because *you* are supposed to do the analysis and actively engage with the text. It is just a different style of reading than a narrative, fiction work where there are subplots, subtexts, multiple characters and relevant or non-relevant details to organize in your brain. A good voice actor or reader can really help the listener suss out all those minute actions and plot points, which aids in the comprehension of fiction works. This aspect isn't required to successfully study non-fiction textbooks.

 

Bookshare's catalog of titles is huge, plus there is the ability to port Bookshare text straight into VoiceDream and speed the text up to the same rate of reading as a NT reader working without audio support. So for us at least, the plan is to use readers/voice actors for fiction & novel studies and Bookshare/Voicedream for textbook work.

 

 

I'm trying to figure out VoiceDream now--maybe will try to get onto that and BS at least by the time ds is in high school.

 

Is your experience with the computer read text btdt or theory? If you have btdt, with what level text so far? My sense has been that the computer read text (though I have yet to experience VoiceDream/bookshare) has the difficulty not of a lack of emotionality in the reading, but rather that the computer does not know what to emphasize so as to make it coherent. It is hard to understand much like when someone reads in monotone.

[FairProspects]

I'm trying to figure out VoiceDream now--maybe will try to get onto that and BS at least by the time ds is in high school.

 

Is your experience with the computer read text btdt or theory? If you have btdt, with what level text so far? My sense has been that the computer read text (though I have yet to experience VoiceDream/bookshare) has the difficulty not of a lack of emotionality in the reading, but rather that the computer does not know what to emphasize so as to make it coherent. It is hard to understand much like when someone reads in monotone.

 

My only personal experience with the computer read text is listening to chapters read by VoiceDream of the planned middle school textbook/Human Odyssey series. Using Bookshare/VoiceDream for non-fiction, especially for textbooks, was the main recommendation of the neuropsych for the future, so I'm basing my suggestions on their research and the recommendations from their report. They stressed it pretty considerably and even went so far as to suggest that my then 7 y.o. should begin working with it immediately for practice and speed up the text as soon as possible.

 

My ds is not old enough to have btdt experience with textbooks yet. From what I listened to, I thought it would work very well, but I am not dyslexic so I don't know how much my own skills interpret that a dyslexic would not. I do think it will take some practice, but so does learning to read a textbook for a NT learner. One of my personal goals for middle school will be to get ds working with Bookshare/VoiceDream simply because it makes any textbook/book accessible to him with audio/immersion reading features. Neither LA or Audible have the titles we plan to use in audiobook format, and any title you purchase can be added to VoiceDream in PDF if you send it to Bookscan and have it delivered to you as a PDF, so getting comfortable with this set up really opens up any and every title to Immersion Reading.

[prairiewindmomma]

Our experience has been that my sons can listen to bookshare nonfiction (math textbooks aside) at about 1.5 speed without problem. There have been a couple of times where we have to pause so that younger son can ask questions (he is trying to put info into context then), and then we can pick back up.

 

My dh listens to podcasts on technical IT matters at double speed. I'm not there yet.

[PeterPan]

My only personal experience with the computer read text is listening to chapters read by VoiceDream of the planned middle school textbook/Human Odyssey series. Using Bookshare/VoiceDream for non-fiction, especially for textbooks, was the main recommendation of the neuropsych for the future, so I'm basing my suggestions on their research and the recommendations from their report. They stressed it pretty considerably and even went so far as to suggest that my then 7 y.o. should begin working with it immediately for practice and speed up the text as soon as possible.

 

My ds is not old enough to have btdt experience with textbooks yet. From what I listened to, I thought it would work very well, but I am not dyslexic so I don't know how much my own skills interpret that a dyslexic would not. I do think it will take some practice, but so does learning to read a textbook for a NT learner. One of my personal goals for middle school will be to get ds working with Bookshare/VoiceDream simply because it makes any textbook/book accessible to him with audio/immersion reading features. Neither LA or Audible have the titles we plan to use in audiobook format, and any title you purchase can be added to VoiceDream in PDF if you send it to Bookscan and have it delivered to you as a PDF, so getting comfortable with this set up really opens up any and every title to Immersion Reading.

I started looking at this tonight.  I found Bookshare in the Google Play Store but not the VoiceDream.  In iTunes they're separate apps I think, right?  So that means I *can't* get BS/VD to do immersion on the kindle?  Must use an ipad?  I guess I'm not clear whether it's one app or two to get the immersion reading.  Two?  

 

If they were saying start them on non-fiction at 7 using the readers to get them used to it, that's pretty wow.  What would I even use?  He does have this astonishing ability to listen.  I've been trying to find even simple non-fiction things like an audio of CHOW.  It's pathetic, since you would THINK that would be readily available.  So what would we use for this at 7?  

[prairiewindmomma]

SOTW 1-4 are on bookshare; so is all of History of US.  Those aren't my top pics for a 7yo, but they are close to CHOW.

 

AFA science titles go, almost all of the Apologia science is there...both the Fulbright and the Wile titles.  A fair number of Rookie Read-Alouds are also there. 

 

Here are a few other science books at about that level:

 

How Taste Works (our Senses) by Sally Morgan

From Apples to Applesauce by Keller

different titles by Taylor-Butler: Pluto, Saturn, Uranus

At the Root of It by Robert Newell

 

There are a few number of geography titles as well....

 

The search parameters that are most helpful are children + educational + science (or whatever topic you want)... and coupling that with 2nd grade. figuring out Bookshare's wonky search engine was a learning curve for me. I went through a similar frustration a couple of years ago when ds was 7.

[PeterPan]

 

The search parameters that are most helpful are children + educational + science (or whatever topic you want)... and coupling that with 2nd grade. figuring out Bookshare's wonky search engine was a learning curve for me. I went through a similar frustration a couple of years ago when ds was 7.

Thanks!!  I'm realizing that's the next trick, to get registered for this stuff and make sure I'm not buying on amazon things I can get through the other services.

[prairiewindmomma]

I also recommend k12's classics for young readers and voyages in english. Spelling workout is there too, but the format is so wonky as to be unusable for us. It is helpful, though, for more in depth curricula examination as to content.

[Timberly]

.

[PeterPan]

Timberly, did you see the link I shared with the instructions for how to get android apps (not just amazon but from other places) onto your kindle?  It's not hard and they work perfectly.  It works with the Learning Ally app.

 

Maybe when your ds becomes a programmer he can make an app that searches all the major sources for audiobooks for dyslexics.  :D

[Pen]

Thank you for letting us know what's on Bookshare share, especially that "K12's Classics For Young Readers" is on Bookshare - we have such fond memories of using that for DS's preschool, K, and 1st.  I'll have to dust those volumes off the shelf and see if DS10 wants listen on Bookshare. 

 

I wish there was a way to use an electronic scanner on my bookshelfs and have it provide an Excell schedule listing which books are available at the city library, military library, Tales2Go, Audible, Bookshare, NLS, Learning Ally, and whether they are Kindle, Whispersync, text to speech, professional narrators, CD, which require iPod/iPad, Kindle Fire verses old Kindle, which are downloadable via wi-fi...

 

Even an Excell catalog from Bookshare, Learning Ally, and NLS would be so helpful.

 

Your term "wonky" is a good description of some of the Bookshare and Learning Ally books, but those services are still much appreciated in our home. 

 

The first thing DS9 did when he got Learning Ally was stack up all of our garage sail Dr. Seuss books on the end table and listen to them on Learning Ally.  He only did that once then moved on to older books.  He said he had hated seeing them on the bottom shelf, wanting to read them, yet knew he'd only be guessing based on memories of my reading them years ago.

 

I'm slowly putting round colored stickers on the spines of books I own that are available in audio.  Inside the cover I pencil in which source has the audio book.

 

 

This sounds like the sort of thing I'm trying to do as I figure out what to spend my first Audible credit on!  I can't believe all the Great Courses  I own (even if at sale price) that I now see I could have from Audible.

[Timberly]

.

[PeterPan]

Timberly, you might want to try the samples on amazon and see.  They wouldn't have been the right level for *my* dd at that age, but that doesn't mean that won't be for yours.

 

Do they do audio magazines?  Had never thought of that, but it might be interesting.  You know, quirky stuff.

[Timberly]

.

[prairiewindmomma]

Our NLS carries Calliope and Cobblestone. Some of the articles are a bit quirky. I haven't looked for them on Bookshare...

[PeterPan]

Well see it had never occurred to me till just now that an audio magazine could be so cool.  You know if you receive the magazine as something on the screen (pdf, whatever), the ipad can read it too.  Not sure how good the voice is, but it can.  So you could subscribe to Muse, which is of course super quirky, and let the ipad read it to you.  I don't know what the services carry yet.  We're still waiting for our complete write-up, grrr, so we can start working on getting access to stuff.

[Timberly]

.

[PeterPan]

I'll bet they like it!!  I have on cd the performance by Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek Next Gen, yes), but it has never become popular here even though I've tried.  this Tim Curry version seems nicely ready and he's slow enough I think it will help the people with low processing speed.  

[Pen]

Update:

 

Yesterday I got our first Audible book! For my credit, I ended up choosing SWB's History of the Ancient World (the Norton level series, not SOTW), which we already own as a hardcover. We had managed to grope our way through around 2 chapters since the new school year started. With the Audible, we are now at chapter 9, and I think it is more comprehensible and entertaining as the professional narrator reads it.  I am sorry not to have the more advanced level of written text reading practice going on, but in terms of history acquisition, the Audible version is clearly more helpful.  For both of us.

 

I did not get the Whispersync Phantom of the Opera to try. When I went to do that, it said I needed to start my 30 day free trial of Kindle unlimited to do so, and I was not sure about doing that. Phantom did not really grab either my son or me, and maybe next month's book will appeal more to at least one of us. I think I will start a whole new thread with Kindle questions now!

[Pen]

Are any of "The Great Courses" suitable for 5th and 6th grade boys to listen to in the car next summer?  They don't need new curriculum, but don't mind audio learning while strapped in a seat belt.

 

When I look at the "Great Courses" titles in Audible I imagine teenagers and college kids.

 

 

I think it totally depends on your kids, but when I was listening to samples of the Audible books, I thought that some of Great Courses History course audio selections would probably have been accessible to my son when he was 11. I think they will be even more so, following the SWB Audible book, however.