Listening to Stories: Ways to Use Audio Narration Together

Listening is another way to share a story. Try it alongside reading aloud or looking at the text, and notice which approach suits the moment.

Listening is another way to share a story. Try it alongside reading aloud or looking at the text, and notice which approach suits the moment.

Listening and Talking About a Story

The National Reading Panel describes listening to others as one setting in which vocabulary can be encountered. This does not establish that an app’s narration produces a particular learning gain.

After a short section, ask your child to tell you what happened. If a word is unfamiliar, explain it and listen to the sentence again.

Try Following Along With the Text

Offer the option of looking at the text while listening. Pause or repeat a sentence when helpful. There is no need to assume that combining audio and text is always better for every child or task.

Options to Try