Re: [LM_NET] Audio Books, are they "reading"

[Deborah Stafford <Deborah_Stafford@COMPUSERVE.COM>]

I have been thinking about this all day. At AASL, I was at the session
mentioned before about Audio books where I came away with much to chew on.
Check out the AASL blog for my entry on the session;
www.noodletools.com/aasl  Here are my
thoughts, perhaps not in correct order.

We ask parents to "read do" children, so is what parents do reading or not
reading when they read to their children?

Can audio books give struggling readers needed confidence? If they can
listen to a story, then take an AR or RC test and pass it, does will  that
give them confidence to later tackle a book in print? To what extent does
listening to a story help those who have a difficult time with the "inner
voice" and visualization so necessary to goo readers. Do audio books help
foster "inner voice" and visualization? At the session it was mentined that
audio books give authors the ability to give their work the "voice" that
they heard when writing it.

Is the purpose of the RC or AR to understand the material or to "read" the
words on the page or both. Can both be accommodated by audio books and
print books?

I can see the argument that "reading" occurrs only when you interact
personally with the words on the page. But I also think that
"reading" is much more than that. 

So it seems to me that we should make both methods available, for the
struggling readers as a method to help them, and for good readers as a way
to develop deeper comprehension skills. Maybe a good "reading program" has
both.

Deborah J. Stafford
Gen. H.H. Arnold High School
Wiesbaden Germany
now proudly on the web at http://www.wies-hs.eu.dodea.edu
Deborah_Stafford@compuserve.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------