Using Audio books for school? cross post

[3and3]

Thought maybe I might have better luck here.

Does anyone use audio books for school?

How do you do it?

What subjects do you use them for?

Where do get them from library or online?

 

I am already aware of all the free audio books which is awesome.

I am trying to simplify HS and thinking of trying to use more audio books and computer games for kids. Just not sure what it would look like and how to put into our schedule.

Jenny

[In The Great White North]

We use audio tapes of "history" literature for car rides. Ds also used it for walking the dog. It's one of the main reasons (along with movies) all three kids did the same period of history history this year.

[Kindred Hearts]

Thought maybe I might have better luck here.

Does anyone use audio books for school?

How do you do it?

What subjects do you use them for?

Where do get them from library or online?

 

I am already aware of all the free audio books which is awesome.

I am trying to simplify HS and thinking of trying to use more audio books and computer games for kids. Just not sure what it would look like and how to put into our schedule.

Jenny

 

We've use SOTW and MOH audio cd's as well as literature on cd. I usually have to purchase them because our library has only a limited amount of books on cd. I usually use www.audible.com for purchases.

[jelbe5]

I really like Librivox. You will find many of the Ambleside Online suggestions there in audio fomat. You may listen by streaming or download and listen on the computer or on an mp3 device.

 

http://librivox.org/

[JayneJ]

My kids love the Jonathan Park Adventure series ( it is very religious with a creation (young earth) worldview). They are packed with science, geography, and history. We have used these as supplements to science primarily. Most of them come with an activity book or you can download it for free from the series website.

 

We have also used kiddie records (for fun). I have to admit we've used it in place of classical music during quiet play time. Afterwords my kiddos would narrate to me what the program/story was about. It really helped my oldest learn to narrate. A lot of the kiddie records (freebie site online) are short and we burn them to a CD, you could always play them from your computer or download them to your mp3 player.

 

Another idea that we have tried a few times is listening to audio books instead of reading the book. Last year, we listened to quite a few picture type books via audio and then did lapbooks from homeschoolshare. We have listened to other books from other sites and the library and then I have grabbed worksheets, projects, or unit study type extras to go along from the web.

[Guest]

My daughter is incredibly slanted toward auditory learning, so books on tape have formed the centerpiece of her education since early childhood. We get many from the library, although they can be frustrating -- they stick, or skip, or are unintelligible for sections. We download some books, but as my daughter has a resistance to earbuds at this point we do less of that than I would like. We buy tons: from amazon, on sales or with coupons at Borders, at second-hand stores -- we usually buy for around half the original price. She asks for audiobooks for Christmas and birthdays. With her favorites, she goes back and forth between audio versions and the regular book, re-reading and re-listening. It's a really good way to internalize rhythm and structure of language.

 

Mostly she listens to stories, from classics to science fiction and fantasy. But increasingly we are adding history, science, and other forms of non-fiction. I like poetry on CD; she does not. We listen in the car a lot, but also my daughter likes to have something playing while she does other activities: Legos, playing with dolls, drawing. She also likes to listen while she goes to sleep at night. We discuss everything she listens to, just as we discuss everything she reads.

[arstephia]

My kids are great readers, but there is just not enough time in a life to READ every great book out there so I download books from the city library's consortium or check them out if available and the kids listen to them in the car, while they wait for piano lessons, while shopping, etc. on their MP3 players. It gives them exposure to other great literary works and it is better then a lot of things they could be listening to. It gives them things to talk to others about too because they are getting through more works then if they had to read them all. If my child didn't read much to start with I wouldn't have started that, but since they are avid readers, it is a great addition to our lives.

[KarenNC]

I do classics, historical fiction or just plain interesting books on tape/cd for the car. We started this when she was about 4, and we do books on tape in the car for long trips rather than dvds (as well as just for running around town). She had some Jim Weiss on her ipod, but has lost that, so that avenue is no longer available, unfortunately. She enjoys listening to books on tape in the car, but the criteria is that it has to be something I'm willing to listen to as well (both the book and the reader). It's great because I can stop the book and ask if she understands a particular word, what she thinks will happen next, did she notice how something from earlier in the book just showed up again, etc.

 

We get ours from the library. Some of the ones we've done lately related to more educational subjects:

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly----combo of science and historical fiction---story of an "11 and 3/4 practically 12 yo" girl (the middle of a family with six boys) in 1899 Texas whose grandfather is an amateur naturalist and her growing interest in science (along with lots of info on her grandfather's time in the Civil War, life in the late 1890s, etc). Each chapter is prefaced with a quote from Darwin and he is held in very high regard, which may not work for some folks.

 

Blue Balliett's art mystery series---The Wright 3, The Calder Game, Chasing Vermeer.

 

Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park a prince from first century BC Korea shows up magically in the home of a young Korean-American boy. Lots of info on ancient Korea.

 

Noel Streatfield's "Shoes" series about girls in England in theatrical training of various types around and just after WWII. We've done Dancing Shoes and Ballet Shoes.

 

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

 

The Amelia Peabody Egyptian mystery series by Elizabeth Peters, the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman, Sherlock Holmes (selected stories), A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart did a great recording) all give a wonderful flavor of the time periods. We did listen to the first vol of SOTW in the car, but overall the fiction topics are more popular. She is a very avid and proficient reader, but of choice will always choose graphic novels. I find these help with exposing her to longer books than she would voluntarily get out of the library without the obviousness of requiring her to read them.

Edited June 9, 2010 by KarenNC

[2cents]

We belong to Audible. We use our 'free points' and get books to listen to mostly for history. We are currently listening to The Cat of Busbastes. We make audible listening part of our day. The girls get a snack and we listen for an hour between other work. It is a relaxing part of the school day.

[m0mmaBuck]

We use books on CD during car rides (even short ones). Generally I try to have the actual book as well as the audio version so DS can follow along. He tends to retain more if he can see the words while he's hearing them. We use his AWANAS book and CD as well as things like Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, and classic books (Jack London and Rudyard Kipling as his favorites).

[Wildiris]

In addition to the other posts, we listen to books that my kids would otherwise never read on their own. We just finished Wulf the Saxon by Henty.

[Cindyg]

We use them extensively.

 

I get them free from the library; however, if I need a book that the library doesn't have, I'll buy it or rent it, no problem. But that hasn't happened yet.

 

Our "literature" class is while I'm making lunch, and then while we're eating lunch. We usually get an hour of reading in each day right there. We also listen in the car, or just any time that we're free to listen.

 

As far as what to listen to -- if our curriculum suggests corresponding books, we try to listen to those. Otherwise, we just listen to any good book.

 

We love audio books. I've been listening for years. In fact, I can remember WISHING for them long before they were available in any format that I was aware of. When I discovered books on tape at the library many years ago, I thought I was in Heaven. Until they came out with e-audio books downloadable free compliments of my local library. Now I'm REALLY in book heaven!

 

Oh, and don't forget about podcasts. We use those too. I'm not totally conversant on podcasts yet, but we've used two (one Spanish and one Latin) in our homeschool, and we plan to use another one (World Studies) next year. I suspect there's a podcast out there on every imaginable subject. These can be downloaded and listened to at your leisure.

[lauracolumbus]

We always have a book on cd going in the car. Often my dc ask me not to turn off the cd when we arrive at our destination. We mostly get them from the library, but there are problems w/skipping. We usually listen to wonderful literature, but also to the Beethoven Lives Upstairs cds, Beethoven's Wig cds, and some historical ones. On vacation trips we can listen to a lot of the SOTW cds. I've also recently bought Lyrical Life Science and want to get the Geography Songs cd. Listening in the car assuages some of my guilt for all the extracurricular activities we do at the expense of 'classroom' time.

 

Laura

[beezus]

We use books on tape/cd, but mostly as a supplemental thing and not part of our regular curriculum. We might use them more if our library had a bigger selection. My daughter likes to listen to them while she's doing her art work.

[momto2Cs]

We listen to audio books nearly every time we drive anywhere! We've listened to various selections from The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 of them) to our current choice: Roald Dahl's Matilda. I love listening to the stories too, and it is a great way to add more literature into our day. We also listened to Beethoevn Lives Upstairs, and the others in that series. The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snickett made a great intro to parts of the orchestra.

 

I'd like to add in some more directly educational pieces this year, as well as more lit. Maybe some historical fiction?

[momto2Cs]

A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart did a great recording)

 

We LOVED his narration of C.S. Lewis's Last Battle!

 

Getting lots of good ideas from this thread - thanks!

[skylark]

Try myaudioschool.com, they have tons of audiobooks.

[Zoo Keeper]

We're too cheap for an ipod--can I still download mp3 recordings to my computer and burn them to disc? Make my own cd's of librivox recordings? :confused: Streaming is not an option on our dial up....

[ClassicalTwins]

"but as my daughter has a resistance to earbuds at this point .."

 

Target has the best kids headphones, they are not earbuds, they are made by Sony and they internally "reduce" volume no matter how loud they turn it up. The cost around $14 I think and are sold in the electronics department. They come in pink or black and hold up pretty good.

[artchristie]

Thought maybe I might have better luck here.

Does anyone use audio books for school?

How do you do it?

What subjects do you use them for?

Where do get them from library or online?

 

I am already aware of all the free audio books which is awesome.

I am trying to simplify HS and thinking of trying to use more audio books and computer games for kids. Just not sure what it would look like and how to put into our schedule.

Jenny

I have used audible before. We downloaded and burned to cd but this was a while ago. I would like to try this again this year. My husband recently won a nice MP3 player from his former employer so that will come in handy if I can pry it from his hands. :D We also get what we can from the library or purchase what we can afford. Our library also offers playaways which are MP3s with a little MP3 player. All you do is plug in your headphones and listen. Very nice.

 

We use these in any and all subjects we can. Jim Weiss has a great selection for history. Somewhere I have a list of his books and where they fit in with SOTW. There are so many great children's books out there. My nephew and dd still remember Charlotte's Webb from K or 1st grade read by EB White. We checked that out at the library. If you ask either of them it is their favorite part of the day. We do playdough, coloring, pillows and blankets, legos, snacks, cars, whatever they want that requires no talking or sound. Like a PP said it's a break from the rest of their school day and a break from listening to my voice. :001_smile:

 

A PP recommended getting the book in print as well because their son benefits from seeing the words for comprehension. I and my dd also need this. Plus it's really fun to see the illustrations if there are any.

 

Seriously this is one of the first things I implemented from WTM and it has stuck. Even the children that visit my house love to hear the stories on Cd/MP3.

[Guest]

"but as my daughter has a resistance to earbuds at this point .."

 

Target has the best kids headphones, they are not earbuds, they are made by Sony and they internally "reduce" volume no matter how loud they turn it up. The cost around $14 I think and are sold in the electronics department. They come in pink or black and hold up pretty good.

 

Thanks! Going looking!