[Publib] Audiobooks and Learning

[Melissa Henderson]

Hi, all...

Let me just start this message by saying that I'm a big fan of
audiobooks and regularly recommend their use to readers, both
established and struggling. That being said, the original posting was
about *learning to read* and, therefore, I would like to share some data
that I just heard today at a presentation by a neuroscientist from
Chicago Medical School. Dr. Lise Eliot, author of "What's Going on in
There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life"
spoke on early learning and brain development.

A key point Dr. Eliot made is the importance of talking to children. She
stated (and I believe I'm quoting exactly) that the "only proven
cognitive enrichment activity is talking to children." She went on to
say that there is a significant correlation between the number of words
addressed to a child and later IQ. And Dr. Eliot noted that there is a
primacy in the personal/social relationship; there are no shortcuts. 

Dr. Eliot went on to note that "reading counts as talking" and that
research demonstrates that "parents do the best language teaching
[naming, questioning, repeating, modeling] when reading."

So, while none of this says that audiobooks are *bad* for teaching
reading skills, the *best* method is through the personal approach. 

On a side note, Dr. Eliot's entire talk was fascinating and I can't wait
to dig into her book!

Melissa Henderson

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Melissa Henderson
Children's Librarian
Warren-Newport Public Library
Gurnee, IL