"Reading" an Audiobook

A few years ago, in the era of emerging e-readers, I was a book purist. I would proudly proclaim my dislike for digitized texts and their cult like following. That Christmas, I received a Kindle Fire. Now I am a hypocrite. I rarely go to the book store (unless it is for the a new Percy Jackson book or Janet Evanovich which I MUST have to keep the set complete). New releases are delivered to my Kindle any time of day or night and....I LOVE IT! Not only is it convenient, but it also forces me to try books from authors who would otherwise be unpublished. Does this mean they are all good, no, but neither are all tangible books (how many publishers rejected J.K. Rowling? It seems now all the rage is audiobooks. A good friend and teacher, Dee, is CONSTANTLY heralding the benefits of an audiobook with a great narrator. I roll my eyes dramatically, and she laughs off my impertinence. However, recently, as Summer Break inspires me to do things I would otherwise not consider, I decided an audiobook might be the ticket. A few weeks ago, I had to attend a Gentle Stretch session for another class at the St. Johns County Public library. The class was great and ended early enough in the day that I had a chance to peruse around the library (to which I have a card and have not utilized in far too long). I spotted a great summer read co-authored by Janet Evanovich (though from the style I suspect her co-author, Dorien Kelly, did most of the actual writing and she slapped her name on it) called "Love in A Nutshell." Granted, not the most literary feat, but it's summer and my brain is mush and Shakespeare would make my mush mind explode! I pushed in the first CD when I got in my car. The reader seemed to have a nice enough voice, and I found myself listening more carefully and gathering more information than if I were to read the book. I tend to read more quickly than I should, missing key things from time to time. When it comes to audiobooks, glossing over is nearly impossible (unless you are REALLY focused on driving). The reader kept the tempo nice and even, and far slower than the pace at which I would read. Unfortunately, I live about 10 minutes from the library, which means I did not get very far in the story. I tend to not listen to music or stories in my home, so for the first few days, I limited my experience to listening in the car. I still remembered the story well, but I found myself sitting in the driveway far longer than need be just to get to a good stopping point (the infamous "just one more chapter" as applied to audiobooks). Then, while walking through the gym - EPIPHANY! I saw all of the fit people (who never smile back at you) with their iPhones attached to their arms with these band things and earbuds firmly in place (as to avoid social interaction, I am sure) and it occurred to me to do the same. Instead of hitting the treadmill with the latest from my favorite band, I could load the story on my phone!! So I did. One benefit of digital media is the lack of skipping. Kids today will never understand the bless that is being able to jog without worrying about the portable CD player skipping. As it is summer, and my gym schedule is every day (because I have time to exercise in the morning), I was able to get through the story quite quickly. A few hours a day can really help get through an audiobook and the earbuds helped to keep me focused on the plot and my exercising became more enjoyable. Before this experience, I was not quite as sold on audiobooks as I should have been. Although I use them sporadically in my classroom, I believe there to be greater uses for differentiation than before. Children who struggle to decode may not necessarily have comprehension issues, and audiobooks can help to foster a love of reading which I was ignorant of before diving into an audiobook myself.