[Publib] Audiobooks, are they helping kids learn to read?

[Jesse Ephraim]

> I believe that the current generation of children 
> are lazier than ever and audio books are just 
> feeding into that mentality. 

Given that the current generation of children have to develop complex
technology skills that generally surpass those of their parents, I would
not say that they are lazy, intellectually or otherwise.  Some may have
less patience with reading a book, and some may be less exposed to
reading in the home, but that does not equate to laziness - their time
and attention are simply spread more thin in the modern world.  Each
generation tends to think that the younger generation is lazy - you can
find references to complaints of that nature going back to ancient
times.

> I teach 7th grade and it is amazing how many children can't read.... 
> and their spelling is atrocious. Can we blame it all on audio books, 
> of course not, but I do think it is a contributing factor.

I would blame it more on parents not setting spending more one-on-one
time with the kids (and not teaching by example) and with a generally
poor public education system that is further hampered by ridiculous
state tests and combative parents.  

Jesse Ephraim  
(all opinions are my own, and not necessarily that of my employer)

Adult Services Librarian
Southlake Public Library
jephraim at ci.southlake.tx.us

"A circulating library in a town is as an evergreen tree of diabolical
knowledge."
     - Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)