"A childhood without books-That would be no childhood. That would be like being shut out from the enchanted place where you can go and find the rarest kind of joy."
----Astrid Lindgren
This is a quote from Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking and many other beloved books. I agree whole heartedly, which is why audiobooks are a must for children with dyslexia! Without audiobooks, a child with dyslexia is forced into a childhood without books. That enchanted place and that joy are stolen. When you deny a child with dyslexia the use of audiobooks, you deny their access to stories, to magical places, to the same experiences as their peers. You take away their access to information. You limit their vocabulary, limit their access to complex text, and limit their opportunities to think deeply and engage in conversation with peers about what they have read. You deny their access to ideas, inspirations, perspectives, and possibilities, all the things that enable us to expand our thinking beyond our own experiences. The gap between them and their peers grows wider with every text they are unable to access. This is unfair and, frankly, immoral! Audiobooks are a simple solution. Audiobooks are not cheating. They do not inhibit their ability to learn to read (In fact, research tell us just the opposite.). They do not make the children lazy. Audiobooks are the essential component that will allow a child with dyslexia to access the same information as their peers so they can grow their mind at the same rate as their peers. Of course, they will still be instructed in how to read. They will continue to improve their independent reading skills. But in the meantime, it is vital to give them ACCESS to the same information as their peers.
For more information on the importance of audio books, check out this article:
