This is a guest article written by Russell Emmental...

Children that struggle with poor reading skills may suffer low self-esteem in school, and fall drastically behind. Those that are not proficient readers by the 3rd grade are 4 times as likely to drop out of high school. It’s crucial for parents to consider options that can help their kids improve their reading ability before it's too late.

Audio books are proven to enhance reading skills. They have benefited learning-disabled students, second-language learners, non-readers and those who are struggling with poor reading abilities. With the onset of tablets and smartphones, more audio book apps have been developed to make reading easier for those behind.

Minimizes Working-Memory Deficit

For students who have problems with reading, their brain mainly focuses on sounding out the words. This makes the learner not concentrate on memorizing and understanding what they are reading. Since audio books don't require much decoding, the reader can concentrate on understanding whatever information they hear. You might notice improved response to questions and confidence once your kid gets accustomed to audio books.

The Simplicity of Reading While Doing Other Activities

Whether you are in a car, at home or just walking, it's possible to listen to audio books from your phone or tablet. With the right app, all you need is to download your favorite book and play it from your tablet or phone. Parents can also help their children become better readers by listening to audio books together. This can happen when winding your kid down for bedtime or even when you are in the kitchen cooking. It's a better way to bond and motivate your kid to become a better reader.

Improves a Student's Exposure

For students who are not very good at normal reading, being allowed to use audio books can help them open up. This gives every student a fair chance to use their most preferred reading method to compete with their peers. It will also help to expand the student's knowledge base because they will learn more vocabulary through audio book apps.

Promotes Educational Independence

Students perform better when they are given the opportunity to use their most preferred form of learning. For instance, it might be easy for a child to understand what is verbalized to them than what they read directly from printed books. Audio book apps give students the independence to choose the reading method that they can understand better. This makes every child feel included and appreciated. It can be a way to improve peer relationships and self-confidence.

Fosters a Natural Love for Stories

One of the best ways to make your child enjoy literature is through audio books. The use of audio book apps diversifies your kid's knowledge base, which can make them enjoy listening to stories. With time, they will be able to get lost in good stories and books like other students. They are likely to become motivated to read on their own if they enjoy the story.

Reduces the Anxiety of Decoding Printed Word

The reason most students fail to concentrate or understand things they learn in class is due to the pressure that comes with reading. Since audio books enable the student to concentrate on the meaning rather than the sounding of words, the learner can easily be immersed in what they are reading. It also helps struggling readers avoid the lag time of decoding information.

Final Thoughts

The main aim of reading is to understand written information. Therefore, audio book apps minimize the hurdles that are presented by printed books. They eliminate anxiety and the difficulties of decoding.

About the author:

Russell Emmental is a finance journalist and ex-banker.

Here are some of our Free Audio Book apps for iPhone and Android from Quikthinking Software for the mobile phone:

https://quikthinking.com/black-history-audio-book3.html