How Audiobooks and Reading Aloud Inspire Reluctant Readers

June 9, 2025

In a world increasingly shaped by screens and rapid information consumption, reading—silently, aloud, or through listening—remains a critical tool for cognitive development and lifelong learning. Audiobooks and reading aloud can be transformative for many reluctant readers, particularly children who struggle with traditional print texts. Read-aloud models offer immersive and enriching experiences supporting literacy and building listening skills, vocabulary, empathy, and even confidence in verbal expression.

Why Some Children Struggle with Reading

Reading is a fundamental skill, but not every child embraces it easily. Understanding the barriers they face is key to guiding them toward literacy.

The Cognitive Power of Listening: What Science Says

Listening plays a foundational role in how children acquire language. Let’s explore what research reveals about its impact on brain development and learning.

From the earliest days of life, children are wired to listen. According to American Academy of Pediatrics research, infants benefit immensely from hearing various voices and speech patterns, as this exposure helps build neural connections related to language and comprehension. Babies as young as a few months old can discern subtle differences in tone, rhythm, and cadence. By hearing multiple speakers—be it caregivers, teachers, or audiobook narrators—children develop an ear for the nuances of language.

Dr. Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, emphasizes that the first few years of life are critical for language acquisition. She notes that “babies learn the sounds of their native language by listening to people talk.” Varied voices expose children to different accents, vocabularies, emotional tones, and speaking styles, which can deepen linguistic understanding and cultural awareness.

Audiobooks can complement this development by introducing children to varied narration, expressive storytelling, and exposure to dialects and speech patterns beyond their immediate environment. This variety can especially benefit children, offering them a broader linguistic palette.

The Lasting Benefits of Reading Aloud at Any Age

As an accessible alternative to print, audiobooks are a welcome option for children who find reading daunting, especially those with learning challenges. The practice of reading aloud to children is time-honored, but its benefits go far beyond simple bonding. According to a 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics report, reading aloud fosters brain development, particularly in areas tied to visual imagery, narrative comprehension, and memory. These cognitive processes are foundational for future academic success and critical thinking skills.

Reading aloud also builds emotional connections. Books introduce children to characters and situations beyond their personal experience, enhancing empathy and emotional intelligence. The shared experience of a story, especially when read with warmth and engagement, creates opportunities for meaningful discussions between children and adults.

Even older children and teens, who may be independent readers, can benefit from being read to. A Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report (7th edition) study found that 80% of children aged 6–17 said they loved or liked being read to at home. Maintaining this practice longer, even into adolescence, can reduce stress, strengthen mental health, support comprehension of complex texts, and encourage reading stories that, in general, may not be of interest to disengaged or reluctant readers.

How Audiobooks Engage and Empower Reluctant Readers

Audiobooks serve as a natural extension of reading aloud. They allow children and teens to experience books in a low-pressure, accessible way. For struggling readers or those with dyslexia, audiobooks level the playing field, offering access to grade-level content without the frustration of decoding text.

Audiobooks can improve comprehension, increase motivation, and foster a love of reading, particularly among reluctant or struggling readers. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that listening to stories activates the same brain regions used for processing the reading word as when the person was listening to an audiobook. This suggests that listening to an audiobook engages the brain in the same way, all while promoting a varied way to engage in reading.

Audiobooks remove barriers. They provide access to literature for readers with visual impairments, learning disabilities, or limited time. They allow multitasking—stories can accompany car rides, chores, or walks—integrating reading into everyday life. Audiobooks restore the magic of narrative without pressure for children who feel discouraged by the mechanics of reading.
Parents can combine audiobooks with print versions of texts to support dual coding, where auditory and visual input reinforce understanding. This method benefits vocabulary acquisition and builds stamina for independent reading over time.

The Role of United Through Reading Recordings in Family Literacy

Recording videos of military parents reading aloud to their children offers a powerful, multi-faceted way to support child development and family connection during deployments and training exercises. These videos become anchors of emotional stability, tools for language development, and bridges across physical distance. As de facto audiobooks, they have all the benefits of being personally recorded audiobooks.

1. Supports Language and Literacy Development

Listening to books read aloud supports vocabulary acquisition, narrative comprehension, and language fluency for children of all ages. But for young children, especially, watching the speaker’s mouth while they read offers an added developmental benefit.

• Visual Speech Cues: According to research in early language acquisition, babies and toddlers learn language not only by hearing it but also by watching how mouths form words. Seeing a familiar caregiver’s face articulating sounds helps infants match sounds to visual movements, reinforcing phonemic awareness, a critical precursor to reading.
• Repetition and Familiar Voice: Children watching a recording multiple times reinforce vocabulary and fluency. Hearing a parent’s familiar voice consistently, even virtually, creates a strong auditory learning environment.

2. Maintains Emotional Connection Across Distance

Deployments and temporary duty assignments can be emotionally challenging for both service members and their families. Pre-recorded videos allow a deployed parent to participate in daily routines even when physically absent.

• Attachment and Comfort: Hearing a parent’s voice and seeing their face offers reassurance and emotional regulation for children. It sustains attachment bonds and reduces anxiety, especially during transitions or bedtime.
• Continuity and Ritual: A video of a parent reading a beloved book can become a cherished ritual, offering consistency that anchors a child emotionally through unpredictable military schedules.

3. Promotes Listening Skills and Focus

Children’s ability to listen attentively is foundational to learning. Audiobooks and read-aloud videos train children to follow narratives, recognize tone, anticipate plot, and process complex sentence structures. As previously reviewed, listening to stories activates the same semantic processing regions in the brain as reading print, meaning children benefit cognitively even without seeing the text.
Listening to a story read by a familiar voice also increases engagement and retention.

4. Reaches All Ages, Including Teens

Read-aloud videos can also benefit older children and teens. A parent reading a favorite childhood story, poem, or chapter book series can create a shared experience and emotional continuity for adolescents who may not otherwise initiate communication during time apart. Teenagers might not openly admit it, but they value connection just as much as toddlers. Hearing a parent’s voice, even on a video, offers comfort, reduces stress, and reinforces the feeling of being seen and supported, especially in times of change.

Audiobooks offer a powerful way to foster literacy while strengthening emotional bonds between family members. With the right tools and approaches, every child can enjoy reading. For military families using United Through Reading’s app and mobile story stations, they can stay connected through the simple, meaningful act of reading aloud and have storytime on demand, no matter the distance.

Our literacy tips are brought to you by Reader’s Digest Foundation