128: Where Audiobooks Count

"Do audiobooks count?" We're here to shout it from the rooftops: YES! Listening to audiobooks, or "ear-reading" as it's also known, is a valuable and legitimate form of reading, with some of its own unique benefits not found with eye-reading. Let's demystify the idea of eye-reading superiority and celebrate all the amazing things about ear-reading and audiobooks!   We'll each be sharing our Top 10 audiobooks for kids in a bonus episode for our Squad on Patreon. That's 20 audiobooks total! Hop on over to Patreon to get this bonus episode and alllll the other rewards.   Highlights from this episode:  -Listening to audiobooks can help readers develop a writing voice, understand sentence structure, boost their vocabulary, make connections with abstract thinking and metaphors, and learn naturally some elements of writing that might get missed with eye reading. -Audiobooks are a way to help more people experience the joy of books. Eye-reading is not accessible for everyone. Plus, audiobooks can be a perfect match for differently wired kids or readers with non-visual learning styles. -Audiobooks can help our readers to know that reading is fun, especially when eye-reading is difficult.  -Hearing stories can help build scaffolding and support for readers as they work toward eye-reading.  -Ear-reading exposes readers to more genres and more information at an earlier age. This can help readers grow their love of books. -Audiobooks can give our kids the best example of reading: the best narrators, the best pronunciation of words, the best way to read the story as it is written.   Mentions 26: Where We Demystify Audio Content 106: Where Our Kids Are Differently Wired With Debbie Reber MP3 players Libby Hoopla Scribd Audible ( Epic  Sparkle Stories   Coffee Hour Live! March 10th! Join us for a live podcast recording on Tuesday, March 10th at 2pm CST. Patrons voted on the topic, and we'll be talking about "What's Saving Our Homeschool"--and do we have some good stuff on our lists! This online event is for patrons only, so join the Squad to get in on all the fun!   $5 Squad on Patreon: One Level. All the Rewards We've simplified our Patreon reward levels. Join for just $5 a month and get all this: - 2 monthly episodes (including live recordings!) - Discounts on classes - First-to-know news and announcements - Access to our exclusive behind-the-scenes feed - Extended guest interviews - All the archived Patreon episodes - Squad-only Facebook group   Classes Check out our Personalities & Homeschool classes! Each class is $10, with all four classes bundled for just $30. (Psst... Patrons get an additional discount on the four-class package.)   Merch! Treat yourself to Homeschool Unrefined totes, hoodies, mugs, and more in our Merch Shop!   Show Some Love Leave us an iTunes review! Your reviews help more people find the podcast. When new people find us, they'll see how much YOU love the podcast and want to listen, too! Loving This Week  Angela: Tushy and Who Gives a Crap (also mentioned:  NRDC report "The Issue with Tissue") Maren: Chik-fil-A app   Before You Go... Share this episode with a friend and let’s keep the conversation going in our closed Facebook group: Unrefined Homeschoolers.⁣   Connect with us!  Visit our website | Sign up for our newsletter. | Support us on Patreon. | Join our closed Facebook group: Unrefined Homeschoolers. | Merch Shop Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube Angela on Instagram: @unrefinedangela | Maren on Instagram: @unrefinedmaren Email us any questions or feedback at [email protected] Visit our Amazon Shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/homeschoolunrefined We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.