With Christmas fast approaching, parents looking to focus their children’s excess energy may be tempted to turn on their TV, however the festive season could well be the perfect time to encourage their love of books.
This winter, Edinburgh-based couple Rebecca Lundgren and Tom Williams are on a mission to ignite children’s love of stories . In August they launched Voxblock - a new screen free audiobook player for children. With over 100 audiobooks in their collection there’s something for all children aged 3-12.
Rebecca said: "Our ‘lightbulb moment’ was seeing our pre-school daughter totally engrossed whilst listening to my childhood audiobooks on an old cassette player. We soon realised the simplicity of the format was allowing her to become more absorbed in the story, without distractions.
"As a result, we spent two years creating an audiobook player that children can use independently, with no need for messing about with logins, passwords, downloads, apps or subscriptions. Children can simply pick up a tangible audiobook (a block), snap it into the player and listen to their chosen story."
To encourage children to enjoy stories and immerse themselves in a world of adventures during the holidays, Rebecca and Tom share their four top tips:
Embrace audio
The global audiobook market is growing, with the fastest growth being in the children's segment with good reason! Research conducted by The Literacy Trust shows that audiobooks build comprehension skills in the same way as reading. Listening to a book also helps develop the skills needed to process the information as well as giving a better understanding of pronunciation and tone, without the additional challenges presented by word recognition.
Their studies also show that audiobooks play a powerful role in engaging reluctant readers. Struggling, less advanced or less confident readers will be able to access a wider range of stories where the written text may act as a barrier. Nearly half the children who listen to audiobooks or a podcast said that it got them in to reading books.
Interestingly, most children agreed that when they listen to stories, they use their imagination more than watching videos. And when it came to wellbeing, many of the young people questioned felt that audio books helped them relax and relieve anxiety.
Led the story take the lead
Helping your child select the right story can be an important part of developing your young person’s love of listening. Along with considering their hobbies and interest, asking your child about the characters that appeal to them as well as the type of stories they themselves would write, is a good way to understand what will spark their interest. From pirates to bears, monsters to unicorns or wolfs to wishing chairs, you can guarantee that there will be a whole host of stories that incorporate that theme or character.
Set the scene
When it comes to stories, timing is everything. Bedtime, travel and quiet time are great places to start. Following up bedtime reading with an audio story can be a great way to help your child unwind before drifting off to sleep. Listening to audio can also alleviate some of the challenge of long journeys.
Another way to develop your child’s love of stories is to create a cozy nook for them to listen in. Encourage your child to get involved and tell you where in the house they would most like a good story and then help them create their perfect story space. Think a cosy blanket and bean bag, or a cardboard fort with inspiring drawings on the walls – a special space may be just what’s needed to help them settle down and get in the zone.
Embrace the magic!
There’s an entire world created by stories – so whatever you do try to make exploring that world fun. Whether that means your child dressing up as your favourite characters or snuggling down in their cozy nook. Creating meaningful positive associations with stories will really help children to fall in love with literature.
For further information on Voxblock visit: www.voxblock.co.uk
