Read alounds and audio tapes - doing both at the same time?

[MouseBandit]

Okay, not EXACTLY the same time, but do you have one chapter book going as a read-aloud, and another "chapter book" on audio the same day/week/etc.?

 

Do the kids get confused with having multiple books on-going?

 

I am really interested in starting to use the audio books with my 4yo dd, 2yo ds, and baby. But, we are also starting to do read aloud chapter books.

 

Or should I just stick to short audios, like picture-book length?

 

We do spend a good amount of time in the car each week - at least an hour each way to the "city" and that happens at least once or twice a week.

 

When you listen in the car, do you just do it on long driving stretches, or do you stop and stop between errands?

 

THANK YOU!

Tracey in Oregon

[Pen]

My guess is it depends a lot on the individuals involved, and maybe even when in life.

 

We tend nowadays to have many books and several magazines going over the same general period of time, and often longer works that cannot be read at one sitting. Right now I can think of at least 5, not including subjects like math and history books. And they are a mixture of audio books, read alouds by me, read alouds by him, and read silently by him books. We have ones that stay in the car for something to do there. And ones that are in the house. Ones by bed, and ones downstairs. And ones that migrate. I'll bet there are more than 5 come to think of it.

 

But at younger ages it more tended to be one thing at a time, often things that lent themselves to one sitting, and often the same thing done over and over again, and at younger ages, the audio books only really worked if they were repeats of things that had already been done with my reading them aloud, pictures looked at, first. Then the audio worked for over and over. I've used audio both during long and short stretches. Sometimes we have music. Sometimes talking time. Sometimes silence. If on all the time, I think it gets tuned out. The youngest my son was when I used audio books with him was 5, so I don't know how it works for a 2yo.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Pen

[Rosie_0801]

My dd seems quite able to handle a page from an alphabet book, a Mr Men book and a chapter of Heidi in the one session, with a different audiobook in the car. My kids seem able to listen for an hour and a half to a children's classic in the car before they need me to switch over to something bouncy like the 10 minute Tigger tape.

 

 

Rosie

[kolamum]

Yes.

 

We often have multiple books going.

 

Sonlight Books for school.

Audio Book for the car &/or during lunch time.

Another fun just because kinda book going on.

Each child has an assigned reading book.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We have a read aloud and a 'car book' on audio we only do in the car. They have assigned books and pleasure reading. They seem to be able to follow it all. I am guilty of having 3 or 4 books going at once for myself too :blush:

[Chelli]

We have a read aloud for school time, bedtime, and in the car. Not to mention the books dd8 reads on her own.

 

No one has gotten confused yet! :D

 

Myself, however, can only read one book at a time, but my children seem to have no problem mixing it up.

[MouseBandit]

I really like the idea of reading the book aloud first in person for the little ones, then playing them repeatedly in the car. I will try that for sure! And I'll try multiple books going, just see how she does with it!

 

Thanks!

Tracey in Oregon

[MicheleinMN]

We have 4 read-alouds each week. I read the Count of Monte Cristo on Mondays and Fridays because it's sooooo long that I thought it needed an extra day. Tuesday is The Hobbit. Wednesday is Wheel on the School, and Thursday is a Napoleon book by Marrin. And each child has 2 books to read on their own each day. Usually a history and a literature book, but once or twice a week they have a science book scheduled too. (Except for my 15 yo, he has everything every day.)

[momtoamiracle]

yes my son will listen to one Ramona book and I will read aloud another. He doesn't get them confused. He may also listen to two other type books at the same time. He's so used to being read to, many books in one sitting, that he doesn't know any different!

[lailasmum]

We always have multiple read alouds and audio books going at the same time. My dd is very into audio books she has about seven out from the library at the moment.

[stripe]

My kids have both. They listen to both stories and full-length books on CD/mp3, and we also do separate read-alouds. My kids keep them straight.

 

They're not all "serious" books. Some are for fun, and a lot are folk/fairy tales.

[happypamama]

We generally have multiple read-alouds going at any one time, including one on tape/CD that is just for the car.