Audio learning can be a wonderful addition to your child’s education. It helps increase your child’s ability to focus, makes good use of their time, and encourages creativity and imagination. It is also a great way to incorporate character training into their lessons.
Audio learning itself can add a lot of value to your child’s education, but there are ways to get even more benefit from it. Moreover, you can use audio learning as a foundation on which to build and expand your child’s learning in many different directions.
Audio Learning Activity #1: Narration
Narration is one of the simplest and most underutilized tools for teaching kids. The concept behind narration is to get your child to retell what they have just heard, in their own words. Children are brilliant at this. They do it all day, every day, and it comes naturally to them. After your child listens to an audio adventure, just ask them to tell you about it. What makes narration so powerful is that if you can get a child to make a story their own, and in their own words, it becomes theirs and they will remember it. If your child is older, usually at age ten or so, they can also do written narrations.
Audio Learning Activity #2: Drawing
Many kids can express themselves best visually. These kids will love drawing or coloring pictures of the scenes that they imagined while they listen to their audio adventures. Encourage your child to add as much detail to the drawing as they want. Furthermore, quality colored pencils and sketch paper will encourage your serious artists to take it to the next level.
Audio Learning Activity #3: Copywork
Copywork is when you choose a passage and your child copies it into their notebook. They should look at the passage as they copy it and get every detail right. The purpose of copywork is not only to teach grammar and spelling. It is extremely useful in introducing your child to quality quotes and phrases from history. As they look at the passages that you have written and copy them, their minds will meditate on what the passages mean. In addition, it is always a good idea to discuss what the passage is about before your child copies it.
Audio Learning Activity #4: Picture Study
Picture study adds the visual element to audio learning. It gives your child a visual that they can connect with the images that they have created in their minds about the stories. To do picture studies first, choose characters from the story or decide what era the setting takes place in. Next, find pictures of the characters or just pictures depicting the era that your child might find interesting. Look at these pictures together and encourage conversation about them. Point out particular details to your child or listen as they point out details. You can also extend this activity to a writing or drawing assignment.
Audio Learning Activity #5: Notebooking
Notebooking is a combination of all of the other activities. It gives your child one place to keep all of their thoughts and activities about the particular audio adventure they are currently listening to. In their notebook, they can draw pictures, write passages, paste pictures, and journal their own thoughts about the audio adventure.
With these activities, you don’t just have to use audio learning as a supplement in your child’s education. You can use it as the foundation on which to build your own curriculum for the best audio learning experience.
You may also consider reading another Live The Adventure Letter article: The Importance Of Audio Learning For Dyslexic Kids
Do you have any more suggestions on easy activities to enhance your child’s audio learning experience? Let us know in the comments below.