Life is busy and amidst the juggle of daily routine, it can be hard to find time to sit and read a book together as a family or one-to-one with your child. It might be that you have a reluctant reader in your household too which can sometimes turn the juggle into a battleground.
There are many benefits to reading which can lead to increased wellbeing, creating a habit which will build vital literacy skills and hopefully grow a lifelong love of books. However, this isn’t always the easiest habit to instil when there are competing priorities or different factors which might limit your child’s interest or confidence in reading books.
Our recent research about children's audio habits discovered that, for the first time since we started asking children about their enjoyment of listening to audio formats a few years ago, more children and young people say they enjoy listening to audio (such as audiobooks and podcasts) than reading.
Discovering audiobooks is just one way that we can support children to immerse themselves in compelling, insightful or just plain whimsical stories. Audiobooks can, therefore, help children tap into the long-lasting literacy benefits which will help shape their life.
Eight benefits of sharing audiobooks as a family
Gives your child a wider access to different types of stories
Audiobooks can give children access to a wider range of stories than they might be able to read for themselves. This can help them learn new words or how to pronounce unfamiliar words. It might inspire your child to pick up a book and either follow along while they listen or have a go at rereading the story for a different experience and a chance to practice the new vocabulary they have heard.
Helps to create a more immersive experience
Many audiobooks are read by well-known actors and celebrities, which can be really exciting for kids if they recognise someone from their favourite programme also narrating the story. There are often sound effects and maybe multiple voices which add depth and atmosphere to the story. The addition of these exciting audio aspects are a great way to bring stories to life in a way that can often engage even the most reluctant reader.
Can inspire creativity
Listening to an audiobook can inspire creativity and help to grow your child’s imagination. Not only the addition of voices, characterisation and sound effects as we mentioned earlier, but research has shown that when children and young people listen to stories, rather than watching videos, they use their imagination more.
A great way to encourage reluctant or less confident readers to grow a love of stories
Audiobooks can be particularly good for reluctant or less confident readers, giving them the chance to get more absorbed in a story than they might be able to if struggling to read a text. Our research shows that listening to audiobooks can provide a gateway into reading and reading enjoyment for many children. In fact, almost 2 in 5 (37.5%) children aged between 8 to 18 years agreed that listening to an audiobook had got them interested in reading books. That’s not all, more of the children who said they enjoyed listening to audio also enjoyed reading in their free time. This is compared to the children who didn’t enjoy listening to audio. Finding an audiobook to listen to with your child could provide the key to unlocking your child’s love of reading and creating a more manageable habit.
Offers an oasis of time to spend time together as a family
Audiobooks can be a great way to share stories together as a family. It might be that as a parent you also feel less confident reading aloud, so time to listen to a story together is more relaxing for you too.
Can help children to learn new things
Audiobooks are a great way to explore topics, learn about new ideas or subjects and spark conversation. Another stat for you… our recent research told us that nearly half (48.4%) of children and young people said listening to an audiobook or podcast helped them to understand a story or subject, while 2 in 5 (40.9%) said it made them want to talk more about a subject with family or friends.
Great for on the go
Listening to audiobooks can fit into your busy lives. One of the best things about audiobooks is that you can listen to them almost anytime and anywhere as a family – whether you’re in the car or the kitchen, during bath time or bedtime.
Can support wellbeing
There is something calming about an audiobook that has the power to sooth and relax its listener. We have discovered through our research that more than half (52%) of the children and young people who said they listened to audiobooks or podcasts, found that this helped to relax them or feel better when they were stressed or anxious.
Tips on where to discover a world of new audiobooks
If you’re now sold on listening to audiobooks as a family, but you’re not sure how or where to access them – we’ve got you covered. Discover a range of audiobooks, including some free options, to get you started…
- Head to your local library where you are likely to find a range of free audiobooks to borrow and take home. They might have physical CDs as well as provide access to audiobooks through apps such as Libby or BorrowBox.
- Check in with your child’s school library as they may have a school library system that includes free access to audiobooks.
- Audible playlists for every mood – Discover a new favourite story or listen together to the classics as a family. We have partnered with Audible to bring you a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books narrated for your listening pleasure. These audiobook options are free if you already have a subscription to Audible or you might find some free sample chapters to get you started.
- Discover Stories Aloud in Nosy Crow books - Every Nosy Crow paperback picture book comes with a FREE audio reading, complete with sound effects and original music. Scan the QR code in the book and hear the story.
- Smart stories - If you have a smart speaker or voice-controlled assistant (e.g. Amazon Alexa, Apple HomePod or Google Home) why not ask it for a story? Ask Alexa for CBeebies stories or ‘The Magic Door’ to take you to an audio adventure game. Google Home offers free audio stories via the StoryCastle app from HarperCollins.
- BBC Sounds app – Did you know there are audiobooks available on the BBC Sounds app as well as radio and music? Dive into the section marked ‘Children’ to find lots of stories as well as podcasts.
- Listen along to LBC’s weekly stories - Every Friday from 10 January 2025, for the next 10 weeks, we will be tuning into Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC to listen to a fantastic range of well-known names as they read aloud a different Beatrix Potter children's story on air.
Create your own family audiobook
Once you’ve listened to a few audiobooks together, why not try recording your own as a family?
It’s easy...
- Most phones and tablets include a basic sound recording feature to get you started.
- Write your own story together as a family or read one of your favourite books aloud.
- If you’re feeling brave, you can try some silly voices and sound effects too!
- As well as enjoying listening back to the recordings yourselves, you could send the audio files to family members (such as grandparents or relations living far away) who will love to hear the children’s voices, and how well they can read!
