A recordable storybook is a great teaching tool for reading. The novelty of the recorded book offers parents and teachers an innovative way to excite children about books. Unlike the older versions of books on tape for kids, the newest storybooks often included the recorded narrative right inside the book, no player required.
Benefits of Reading Aloud
Reading aloud to and with children is beneficial in a number of ways. It gives them a way to bond with their parents, caretakers and teachers. For beginning readers, reading aloud teaches them the very basics about how reading works-that it goes right to left, top to bottom, on the page. Other benefits of reading aloud include:
- Help increase reading comprehension skills
- Spark creativity and imagination in children
- Aide pronunciation skills and help them understand how to enunciate correctly
- Teach a broad range of subjects
- Improve memory skills and understanding of sight words
- Learn how to read with expression
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to read aloud to children. Work, family commitments and other responsibilities may interfere with children reading books with their parents. In these cases, using a recordable storybook offers some of the same benefits of reading aloud. Children are still able to hear the words, follow along in their book and bond with a parent or grandparent who is far from home.
Recordable Storybook Activities
Even when a storybook is recorded, a teacher or parent can still plan several reading activities that will only enhance the reading experience. Reading activities are a great way to help children remember what they just read and to gauged their understanding of the story. This is especially important after children hear a recorded storybook, without an adult interacting with them throughout the reading.
Educational Activities
The following activities are perfect for use in a classroom after children listen to an electronic storybook. The story might be part of a reading center or used when the teacher is unable to read aloud. The activities also work for reinforcing reading during long car trips with parents or during the summer for struggling readers.
- Vocabulary Flashcards: A great way to begin working on the story is to have children write down any words they did not understand. Make flashcards with the correct spelling and definition on the back. A child cannot fully comprehend a story if they do not know what the vocabulary words mean.
- Story Timeline: Create a timeline of the events in the story. Have children make a large poster with a string and pictures of events as they occurred in the story.
- Alternate Ending: Ask the children whether they were happy with the ending of the story. Could it have ended a different way? Why or why not? Children can write a new ending to the story and create their own book on tape by reading the first half of the story aloud and finishing it with their own conclusion.
Fun Activities
A fun activity for children to do with their parents and families is to record the story together. While many adults thing of recordable children's books as something they record and then give to the child, this isn't the only way to use a recordable book. Instead, assign family members each a character, and don't forget to have someone be the narrator. With everyone contributing his or her own voices to characters, the book will come alive for the child.Recordable storybooks are excellent for use in the car while traveling. Children and adults can become carsick while reading in the car, so recorded books allow children to hear stories without becoming sick. Take along newly recorded books and stop listening to them mid-way through the book, asking children what they think will happen next. Then, finish the book on the trip home and see whose prediction is correct.
A recordable storybook is a great way to share a reading experience with children, even when you cannot actually read the book aloud at that moment. Keep several books on hand and pull them out when needed. The books are both educational and fun for children.
