For parents with dyslexic children the battle to read is all consuming and disheartening. When every page is a struggle, it's easy to lose sight of what reading is really about.
Reading is so much more than just decoding words. It's about falling in love with stories, discovering new vocabulary, hearing the rhythm of language, and absorbing sentence structures without even realising. It's about tension, curiosity, empathy; connecting with characters, analysing their choices and seeing the world through someone else's eyes. It's about imagination and escape.
For a lot of people it's a calming quiet pursuit tied to bedtime and relaxation, sunbathing and switching off. For a dyslexic child, the only part of that experience that often doesn't come easily is the "relaxing" bit. This is where audiobooks come in.
An ideal place to begin is your local library. Many offer free access to audiobooks through apps, which deliver titles straight to a phone or tablet, like Libby or Borrowbox. The downsides are that audiobooks are incredibly popular and selections are limited, so reservation lists can be a long wait - literally months long. It can feel frustrating to finally find a book your child is excited about, only to discover it won't be available for 8 months! In my experience though, often the title comes a lot sooner and it's quite a welcome little surprise then when it does.
The Library audiobook catalogue is best for exploring and stumbling across new books rather than hunting down a specific title; the smaller selection can get frustrating. That said, it's far from a barren wasteland. Provision varies depending on where you are in the UK, but there's still plenty to discover. My son has really enjoyed scrolling through, finding a series he loves, and setting up his reservations. In some ways, the smaller selection has actually helped with that and makes choosing manageable.
Find your local library here: www.gov.uk/local-library-services
Many families explore paid options like Amazon's Audible. It offers a wide selection and high-quality recordings and is really convenient. Although you can sign up for a month's free trial here: www.audible.co.uk, overall, it can be a costly solution.
This leads to a lesser-known but genuinely brilliant alternative for those with a registered disability such as dyslexia.
If you haven't come across Listening Books yet, it's well worth a look. It is a UK-based charity providing access to a fantastic range of audiobooks for all ages.
Have a look here www.listening-books.org.uk - "An audiobook lending charity for those that find their illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book."
As a parent, you can sign up for your child as long as they have a registered disability. The thing that is so impressive about Listening Books is that membership is just £25 for a whole year, making it a pretty affordable option. But even if this were a barrier, you can join for free because they recognise that disability support shouldn't depend on what a family can afford. In fact, many families who use the service choose to donate later - often just a few pounds or whatever they can spare - for the privilege of having all of these books, magazines, comics and newspapers at their disposal.
As many parents and specialists will know, it's not a lack of motivation which prevents someone with dyslexia from reading and Listening Books is one of the most accessible tools that can help engage and allow them to immerse themselves in a world of literature which might have precluded them previously.
Listening Books Top Tips
There is an option to request titles in their FAQs section, so you can contribute to the community by adding to their selection.
You can email to request certain restrictions be removed if you want them to access more mature books, as long as you agree to monitor their borrowings yourself.
Powerful academic support. If you type 'GCSE' or 'ALevel' into the search bar you will find all the English Literature set texts, popular study guides (such as CGP and York) and some text books used in many UK schools as well as age-appropriate novels and non-fiction texts.
If you are an educator, you can secure a school's membership to allow dyslexic and SEND students to access the audio lending library.
If your teenager is embarking upon their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze or Silver Award, Listening Books is an approved activity provider and they can be assessed by reviewing books in either written or recorded forms - A fantastic opportunity for any budding presenters, podcasters or bloggers!
Final thoughts
I don't work for Listening Books, nor do I know anyone who does, despite my gushing review here - I am simply an enormous supporter of audiobooks as alternative provision and anything which raises the profile of literature and reading in schools and people's lives. For myself, I can't get along with audiobooks; I am very visual when it comes to accessing information, so my recommendations are not at all due to a personal preference. What I can say is that they have transformed reading for my 12 year old, who has been listening to audiobooks for a couple of years now. He has still never 'read' a book in his life (with his eyes), but is currently averaging 93% in English and holding his own with an age appropriate reading level and I attribute much of this to the quality literature he accesses through his ears.
As a charity, Listening Books relies on memberships and charitable donations to be able to continue to provide the wealth of literature in their catalogue. I would encourage parents and educators to suggest their school adds Listening Books to their fundraising rotation or seeks a school membership. They seem to be a stellar charity, working hard to open the doors to education for so many people and that is worth a few quid in my book! Click here to donate!
Image credits: Shutterstock, Listening Books, Audible
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