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Audio Homeschool

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Learning with Your Ears

We all have our own preferred learning style whether it be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.

But did you know that learning is always enhanced when more than one learning style is used?Adding audio books and stories to your home offers many learning advantages. Don't listen when people say that audio books are cheating; they are legitimate learning tools.

So spice up your lessons by adding in some auditory elements!

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Free Online Stories, Songs, and More

for your audio homeschool

These are my favorite sources for free audio especially for children.

Kiddie Records: This site is so fun! Old records have been put into MP3 format for free download! You're sure to find an old recording you had as a child!
Story Nory: Natasha reads an audio story every week! The choices are varied -- classics to modern tales.
Librivox's Files for Children: Librivox works like this --volunteers record audio files of books in the public domain. There are lots of classic works here that are great for kids -- Black Beauty, The Wizard of Oz, Aesop's Fables, Peter Pan, and so much more!
Educational Songs: These are delightful songs that teach. You can't save them, but they are free to listen to online! Topics include: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Foreign Language, Geography, Geology, History, Language Arts, Life Skills, Math, and Physics.

I just found many of these songs online for free download! The science and nature songs can be downloaded at Singing Science Records. What great news!
Kid's Corner: Classic stories that you can listen to with RealPlayer: Beatrix Potter, Grimms fairy tales, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Kipling's Just So Stories.
The Reading Well: A small sampling of mostly stories from American history (Paul Revere, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Robert E. Lee, etc.) but with a few fairly tales and Bible stories thrown in as well. The sound quality of the recordings is not very good, but they have multiple voices and a professional sound otherwise.
Internet Archive: This site has loads of wonderful old radio programs converted into digital format. This link is to Cavalcade Of America. Other great historical programs can be found at Frontier Fighters, You are There, and American Trail.
Old Time Radio Catalog: Remember the golden age of radio?

With detailed descriptions of classic radio shows, OTRCAT.com offers thousands of old time radio episodes online. In the 'daily downloads', there are new broadcasts of the day throughout history. More information about the golden age of radio...

This site sells very affordable disc collections of old time radio programs, but you can also download them for free.
CHILDREN'S VINYL RECORD SERIES: Old records converted into MP3 format, free for download! There are purely fun stories such as Snow White and Cinderella as well as more educational topics such as jazz, ballet, instruments of the orchestra, multiplication, and Shakespeare.
Books Should Be Free: Pollyanna, The Secret Garden, the Oz books.... so many classics to choose from.

Learning Styles

The Way They Learn

by: Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

Amazon Price: $6.75 (as of 02/13/2012)
Used Price: $0.01

In my opinion, this is the best book about learning styles. Use the tests on everyone in your family to discover your favorite ways to learn.

Using Audio Resources in Your Homeschool

Listen while traveling! Buses, cars, trains, or planes -- invest in an MP3 player for your child and load it up with stories and songs that you approve of!
Read Diane Flynn Keith's ideas for what she calls "carschooling." She uses lots of audio books.
Listen while doing chores or crafts.
Listen when sick in bed.
Instead of reading aloud to your child, find the book in audio format. Your child still gets the benefit, but you get a break.
Supplement your history curriculum with extra novels.
Add in educational songs and listen daily to painlessly reinforce the facts. My favorite are from Audio Memory. These really work!

Characteristics of Auditory Learners

Thirty percent of all people are auditory learners (their preferred style of learning is through auditory channels). So how do you know if your child is an auditory learner? Here are some characteristics.

remember what they hear
learn by listening, especially through music
find phonics useful
remember names well
easily distracted by noise
talk while they write
read outloud rather than silently

Free Literary Selections in Audio Format

LoudLit.org: Categories include poetry, novels, short stories and a children's section!
Lit to Go: Free MP3 files of classic literature from Florida's Educational Technology Clearinghouse.
Free Audio Books to Download: The focus here is historical and philosophical books.
Audio Titles from Gutenberg.org: This is the Gutenberg catalog of audio classics told by human voice.

MP3 Player

Coby 4GB Video MP3 Player with FM Radio (Red)

Amazon Price: $13.85 (as of 02/13/2012)

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Jim Weiss CDs

stories told by a master storyteller

Greek Myths

Amazon Price: $9.93 (as of 02/13/2012)
Used Price: $5.05

If you have not heard Jim Weiss's storytelling, you've really missed a treat! These Greathall Productions CDs are excellent! The tales, plays, and myths are retold in an engaging way that makes you feel you are in the story! There are many titles that span centuries of history. Search the Greathall Timeline for something to supplement your own curriculum.

These CDs are a great investment; they get played over and over again!

Auditory Learners

The Auditory Learner: An article from Parent Center that explains what it means to be an auditory learner and how a parent can help that learner. Be sure to click through the links that take you to specific age and subject related tips.
Learning Styles: This simple article breaks down learning styles in an easy to understand outline.

Classic Audio Books

Many excellent books can be purchased in audio format. Browse some of these CD books to listen to during your next road trip or just while staying home.

Get more audiobook recommendations at Love to Learn Place.

Audiobooks enrich a student's overall use of language and love of literature. Read more at Learning with Audiobooks.

The Chronicles of Narnia 7-Book and Audio Box Set

by: C. S. Lewis

Amazon Price: $38.00 (as of 02/13/2012)

A classic series that every child (and adult!) must read!