Monday 21 October 2013

Read Along Stories Online For Children

By Elena McDowell


Children have always loved hearing stories. Often the bedtime story is one of the favorite times of day, enjoyed by both parent and child. Hearing about heroes, villains, dangerous beasts and daring adventures not only helps to stimulate the imagination but gives children the opportunity to play out many of their concerns and fears. They also begin to develop an understanding of the relationship between printed words and what they mean. Many parents are now using read along stories online as a resource.

Poor readers are at a great disadvantage in a world where the written word is so important. This is why interactive websites can help a great deal with children are are struggling to read. Many of these sites offer free audio books that combine education and entertainment. They are structured in such a way that children are encouraged to participate.

There are a wide variety of tales available. Classic fairy tales, fables, modern originals and Bible stories are just some examples. These tales are often wonderfully illustrated and many of them are animated. Modern technology makes it possible to download these audio books in different formats suitable for many different devices.

Reading often seems boring to children in comparison with computer games, television and mobile phones. Audio books can help to bridge this gap. A child has the option of selecting a story and listening to someone reading it aloud. The voices used are often those of skilled narrators, like famous actors, giving a demonstration of fluent reading with expression. Children are enticed to become better readers themselves.

Words are often highlighted as they are read, enabling the child to associated the written words with the sounds they make. They not only see the words but hear them and say them too. This stimulation of all the different senses reinforces learning. Instructions enable them to stop if they miss something and to go forward when they are ready.

Many of these books are written for young children who have just begun reading. The best way for them to become fluent is by practicing their skills. As they hear and see the word, voice it out loud and start to string sentences together, they become so absorbed in the process that they are not even aware of learning new skills. Children who experience problems with reading also benefit.

There are many websites of this nature offering parents some amazing resources. It is easy for them to download a whole collection of these audio books. This gives their children the chance to practice their reading whenever they want to, without having to depend on the parent. They can even practice while parents are busy with other activities like shopping or driving.

The availability of thousands of read along stories online offers parents an invaluable resource. Creating a collection of audio books for their children means that they never have to worry about how to keep them entertained. At the same time, they are encouraging their children to become more fluent readers which has great benefits for their future.




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