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Angel
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 9:07am | IP Logged
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I'm hoping someone can help me out with the management of audio books. We're in the process of discovering that my 9 yo is dyslexic. Really, we have suspected it for a long time, but we will be trying to get a formal diagnosis this year. He can barely read anything at all, but he is a voracious *listener* to books. I have a really difficult time keeping him in audio books because he listens to them constantly. (I mean that literally. He will try to take my Kindle and headphones in the shower!)
Checking audiobooks out of the library is iffy for us because he's forgetful and will leave the CDs scattered around the floor where they can (and will) be stepped on. I've already had to replace one broken CD. What I'd like to know is how you manage your own audiobooks in your home? Keep in mind that this is where the bulk of my ds's learning comes from, so I am looking for as many cheap/free sources as I can! Just to give you an example of the volume and kind of books he's listening to, in the past two-three weeks, he's listened to _Henry and Ribsy_, _Homer Price_, _The Tale of Troy_, most if not all of _The Children's Homer_, _The Princess and the Goblin_ (not sure he got all of that, but then again he may be listening to these more than once), and _The Lightning Thief_ multiple times. Also, I think he listened to a biography of the Wright Brothers. Fortunately, he does tend to like to listen to the same book over and over again.
So, I know about My Audio School and Librivox, but I'm wondering how you manage them?
I haven't used the Text to Speech feature on my Kindle; is that decent or does it make the text sound mechanical?
And are there sources for Catholic audio books? I found King of the Golden City last night when I was trying to get our religion books squared away. I would *love* to find Vision books on audio, but I'm not sure if that exists?
Oh, and what about Glory Stories? Could my 9 yo and my younger boys listen to them together, or would my 9 yo find them a bit simplistic? I think I've mostly seen them listed around the 1st grade level. Is that just because they're on audio and older kids are expected to read their books?
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Aagot
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 9:23am | IP Logged
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Hi Angel,
I can't help you with much but I do think your 9 year old would enjoy Glory Stories! My 12, 11, 9, and 6 year olds all like listening to them.
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Angel
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 11:05am | IP Logged
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Wonderful! Thank you, Aagot! 
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Angela
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 11:11am | IP Logged
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What do you mean manage the Librivox and My Audio School? Do you mean away from the computer?
I pick our audio books very carefully. I don't like to buy them new unless I know they will be reread or impossible to find elsewhere. I buy used versions on Amazon and from our local bookstore. I've had some good buys.
But I use our library audio cds a lot, so I can't really come up with ideas NOT using them. Is there a way you can have designate areas for the library cds and his listening? We do this with our library books...they are not allowed to wander in places and the audio cds are either closed up with our stereo cabinet when listening or in the car in the front where I regulate the cds.
But also look for library sales and other book sales where you might get the cds used for cheap.
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Angel
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 1:24pm | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
What do you mean manage the Librivox and My Audio School? Do you mean away from the computer?
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Yes, that's what I mean. Do you download the recordings to electronic devices? And if so, which ones?
I'm having to make a shift here because of his learning disability. If he could read, he would have his nose buried in a book all the time. For books that I have on my Kindle, he will take the Kindle outside, in the bathroom, on the couch, while he builds Legos... pretty much everything a bookwormy type kid would do with a real book. He's a very bright child who loves stories but who happens to be unable to read. We're working on that, but I think that it may be unlikely that he will ever be a really *good* reader and audio books may remain his favored source of information. I can't read aloud to him for as much time as he will listen to books on his own.
So, anyway, I need to shift my thinking from, oh, he can't read these books, to, how can I make all these books available to him? If you see what I mean. Accordingly, this shift in thinking means that we will go through audiobooks the way another child would go through paper ones, kwim?
I haven't really bought many used audio books before because I wasn't sure about the quality, but maybe I will spend a little more time on that now.
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Angela
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WithAllMyHeart
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 1:52pm | IP Logged
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Hi Angela-
The website homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com gives daily links to all kinds of free resources for homeschoolers, including audio programs. They are on summer vacation right now, but you can sign up for free and get updates when they start putting things up again. And you can browse through the old links for ones that are still active (most are only good for one day).
The family who runs it also runs a website selling just audio programs, Homeschoolradioshows.com. If you go to that site and type "free" in the search box, you will find a few that I think are available for download for free, including adaptations of "Little Women" and "Pinnochio" as well as segments on Paul Revere and ice cream (all old-time radio shows).
It's not "the" solution, but a few free things here and there add up, right? 
It's worth checking out even if you didn't need the audio stuff- they post all kinds of really neat things...
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Erin
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
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Angela
Does he have his own ipod? Could you store all 'his' books onto one device?
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elynnmom
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 9:04pm | IP Logged
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Free website with lots of audio stories. I think you can either listen on computer or download to mp3 player.
http://storynory.com/
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Pilgrim
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 7:17am | IP Logged
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With library audiobooks we have stocked up on cheap CDs, copied them to use during the time frame we would be able to have them on loan, and then if we really liked the audiobook, bought them used through, Amazon, eBay, or Alibris. Our oldest is also hard on CDs, etc. so we didn't want to just hand them over to her, either. She also is a voracious listener of audiobooks, also will listen to them many times over, and to give you hope, was a late/struggling reader, who now reads very well, and voraciously. 
Here is a link to free downloads of the Chronicles of Narnia on Audiobook. The lady who reads them has a very nice voice, very calming, and easy to listen to. For audiobooks, we tend to favor the ones done by Recorded books. At his age your son may like the Little House on the Prairie series, done by Cherry Jones. Dd has very much enjoyed them for the last 3-4 years, and dh used to read the books over and over at your sons age, so they're not just something girls like. We like the Recorded Books version of LOTR and the Hobbit as well. The recorded Books audiobooks tend to be unabridged, so they give lots of listening time, and they tend to be read well, and entertaining. The other ones she enjoys that even dh doesn't mind listening to from time to time, are the recorded books versions of Anne of Green Gables, and Anne of Avonlea(I haven't allowed her the others in the series yet, as I don't want her thinking on older relationship things as of yet), and Pollyanna.
We bought dd a cheap MP3 player without the radio function like this one orthis one. We rip her audiobooks to Windows Media Player, and put them on her mP3 player for times when she cannot use her cassette or Cd player. Such as extended times in vehicles, story a bit scary for youngers, etc.
Hope this helps a bit! 
ETA: The Mp3 players I linked use a regular battery, so we got rechargeables, just a thought.
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Pilgrim
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 7:30am | IP Logged
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Sorry it looks like the Chronicles of Narnia series can no longer be downloaded  ? But it can be listened to online, it looks like.
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 7:33am | IP Logged
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Got this in my inbox today Hear Text Aloud
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Jennifer G. Miller
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 7:56am | IP Logged
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I was going to recommend this site. It is Orthodox, not Catholic, but there are some good recordings in addition to the Narnia series that could fill a need for religious books that are not so easy to find on audio.
Here are her other podcasts. They aren't organized well, but there are a few Catholic titles mixed in (Marigold Hunt, for instance), and I'm guessing that since most of these are children's stories, there are many safe options without theological problems.
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Lindsay
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 8:06am | IP Logged
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As for organizing, I thought this post was interesting. I don't know that I would use that method, but it is worth pondering.
Also, have you considered subscribing to Audible for him? The Audible player is easy to use on a computer or tablet or smart phone.
Since you want it portable, I would probably lean towards an inexpensive mp3 player as Pilgrim suggests and rip cds and download audio to that device for him. If you don't want him using headphones, they make portable mini-speakers that you could plug the player onto and he could set beside him as he plays.
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SallyT
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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OH, wow, Marigold Hunt on audio! I'm going to hunt those down for sure.
I second getting him his own iPod, if he doesn't have one just for him, and loading his books onto it. We do a lot of "listening around the laptop" -- my 8yo and I are listening to Five Little Peppers from Librivox as I write this -- but for a child who needs to be an "audiobookworm," it sounds as though the issue is giving him a way to access his books as easily and privately as a reading child would pick up books (which is what I hear you saying). A really simple device would fill the bill -- my oldest daughter is still using the iPod Shuffle she bought for about $40 five or six years ago. I would think that something like this would be very, very freeing and empowering for him and his learning.
As an aside, I'd be very interested in hearing how you've begun to suspect dyslexia and how you're approaching it. Maybe another thread? I have some concerns about my 8yo, who does read, but also demonstrates some consistent, worrying traits . . . But again, another conversation in another forum?
Sally
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Angel
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| Posted: June 14 2012 at 8:18am | IP Logged
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Wow! Lots of sources! Thanks .
We actually have the Chronicles of Narnia on CD and he's listened to all of the books more than once, so we're good there.
Jenn, that software looks interesting. I guess you might be able to use it to listen to any book you could download online? That might actually be something I'd like, too!
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Angela
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kristacecilia
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| Posted: June 15 2012 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
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I just started using this free audiobooks appon my iPad. It has thousands of free books that are easily downloaded... all the librivox ones plus others.
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Krista
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Mrs. B
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| Posted: June 20 2012 at 8:46am | IP Logged
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My dyslexic is also a voracious listener. We use as many free books as we can get for her and put them on a mp3 player, then she can use headphones or a small speaker to listen. The kindle is also an option for us for free audio books, and if we do get audio cd's my hubby puts them on a mp3 player anyway. Then she doesn't have to worry about loosing and breaking the cd's.
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4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Audio books for a voracious listener
