What impact could access to audiobooks and/or eBooks have on the engagement and interest in reading for so called “reluctant readers”?
by Nicole Wallace
Do you worry about reluctant readers in your school? If you do, then this action research project conducted by Nicole Wallace with her middle school students will be of great interest to you. Nicole shares her inquiry journey through a series of engaging videos that outline the stages she went though and her observations and connections along the way.
Nicole Wallace is teacher-librarian at École John Stubbs Memorial School in SD 62 Sooke, a K-8 French Immersion school. She is passionate about reading, playing with new technology, and is an aspiring maker!
Very interesting project, Nicole. I am an avid reader but rarely have I used an audio book. You helped me think in new ways about what makes a reader!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback! I started listening to audiobooks when I moved to a school that was a further drive away from my house. There are always so many books on my to be read list, that I saw it as a way to get more reading time in! It took another year of me being an audiobook listener for me to wonder if students might enjoy them as well.
DeleteNicole, first of all, thank you for modeling in the format of your TMC7 submission the content of your TMC7 inquiry - listening to you speak about your research into audiobooks show you "walk the walk and talk the talk" and it's important to stress that this is a legitimate method of sharing research, not just by producing information in "paper/written form". (Your voice was wonderful to listen to!). I find it fascinating that you replicated the inquiry in your second year at a different school. That meant you were able to really see if the impact was dependent on one school community or if it was transferrable. Listening actually meant I had to slow down (I read fast!) and soak it in. I put on the closed captioning - did you find that students or audio book users ever employ this multi-modal access? Great point in in the implementation video about not wanting to get any students in "trouble" by making it look like the students were on their phones (vs the tablets you used). The quotes you collected from the staff and students were powerful testimonies. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to sign my name to my post (Diana M) and wanted to add a few more points. I appreciate that you mentioned the challenges (e.g. students not loading games on the tablet and/or modeling how to read an audio book for those without experience). How did you model it? Did the tablets come with headphones so others wouldn't listen in? What were some of the most popular audio book titles? French audio books is a different kettle of fish and I agree with you that it's harder. My sister is trying to learn French as an adult and when she tried to follow along with French TV shows or films, she found it very difficult. I'm also glad that the equity issue became so prominent unexpectedly. (It was so funny that one of your students still didn't see audio reading as reading!)
DeleteDiana M
Thank you for your comments! I did attempt and ultimately struggled to put all my thoughts into words as it didn't feel authentic and I didn't feel like I could effectively get my energy across. I am glad that you enjoyed watching (listening) to the videos.
DeleteIn year 2 of my inquiry I did have a number of students listen to their lit circle/book club books while also following along with their print copies. The classroom teacher reports that he found this to be beneficial for a number of students and helped them keep track of the story.
Modelling is something we need to do a better job of in the future, I would like to see this evolve from a beginning user orientation (which we have been doing) to more of a side-by-side user experience with both the classroom teacher and/or myself regularly doing demos, checking in with students and listening to audiobooks ourselves during silent reading time.
We did not provide headphones with the tablets, but most of the students had their own. If a student needed headphones and wasn't able to get any then we would provide them with a new pair to keep. However, I also found that sometimes students enjoyed finding a quiet spot to sit around the tablet together and have a shared listening experience!
I just had a look at my stats and it turns out the book with the most check outs last year (9) was "10 histoires pour avoir peur, mais pas trop!!!" haha. So it turns out I did have a popular French title, and scary stories isn't a surprise at all! The top English title was "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas."
Kudos!!!!!!!!!!! The only way we get better at becoming TLs is to keep a bit of ation research going along the way. It helps us get away from misconceptions. I have heard many librarians say that their kids prefer printed to audio. And, I always just wonder how they know this. As a near blind person, audio books are the only thing, since the world of print is no longer possible. However, the disadvantage of audio is that I have to be a slave to every word. I was never that kind of print reader; mostly because I gulped text without having to read every word. That technique helped me have more time to think about what I was reading as I read. It was much more efficient. and, I miss those days. I just have to constantly press the pause button to think and that takes longer. Like your students, increasing the speed of the audio is a godsend. Much depends on the quality of the reader. So, kudos again and just keep probing. If you are at Tres. Mt. find me and I have a request for you. P.S. as Krashen reports, wide reading of text affects spelling, grammar, and a number of other skills. I agree. As an audio reader, I can't spell cat any more...
ReplyDeleteThank you! I truly believe that people who think they don't like audiobooks just haven't found the right genre, audio speed, and/or narrator yet. These same people often love podcasts, which is why I believe with a little perseverance everyone could become an audiobook lover. However, that also takes a certain comfort level with abandoning books and a willingness to not stop trying.
DeleteI agree with you in the disadvantage of audio that you mention, I often find that I get lost in thought (usually related to the book) and have to pause and rewind. I also agree that the voice actor/narrator makes all the difference, I definitely have favourites!
I will be at TMC and I look forward to meeting you!
I started adding audiobooks a few years ago. Due to school policies (students can’t have their devices out), I use Follett Playaways or GoReader devices. They’re basically a flash drive with features. I’ve seen students who desperately want to read what their peers read (Wonder, Harry Potter, etc), but they aren’t quite there yet. But when given the opportunity to use an audiobook? They devour it. I’ve seen one student over the course of two years (going on his third) move from Tom Gates/Diary of a Wimpy Kid to every Harry Potter (usually checking out the physical book AND the audiobook so he can follow along) and is now reading without the audiobook’s guidance. (He still likes the audiobooks though, and is very sad that I don’t have every single Gordon Korean book as an audio option.).
ReplyDeleteI make sure to emphasize in my orientation at the beginning of the school year that reading a book through text on the page and text in your ear will get to the same place in your brain. It just takes a different route to get there. And then I tell them how other teachers and the building and I use audiobooks as part of our reading experience. Listening to something happening in a galaxy far, far away makes sitting in Vancouver traffic much more bearable. :)
Lisa, I was involved in a large Playaway project in my school district some years ago. They were extraordinarily popular with the students. I LOVE the message you give in your orientation. And Nicole, what can I say? Brilliant work. There are many reasons to read, many ways to read, and many reasons why we must say yes to audiobooks.
DeleteThank you Anita, I am glad that you and Carol encouraged me to "write" a paper for TMC and share my work.
DeleteThe more ways we can help people see themselves as readers, the more adults we will have who are open to the world of stories and information.
Thank you Lisa! I am so glad you have seen success in using audiobooks in your school as well. Just think of the difference you made in that student's life and the doors (& windows & mirrors) you have opened for them!
DeleteI agree! An audiobook makes a solo car drive much more enjoyable, which was my gateway into audiobook land! I also love to listen to audiobooks with my kids in the car, we choose one together and listen every time we are in the car together. They also love to borrow books on CD from the public library and we always have a few in the car to put into rotation!