Audiobooks and literacy
Our latest research into audio found that in 2023, nearly 2 in 5 (39.4%) children and young people said they enjoyed listening to audio either very much or quite a lot. Listening to audiobooks and podcasts can:
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Encourage reluctant readers
In 2022, 3 in 10 children and young people who didn't enjoy reading and/or writing enjoyed listening.
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Help close the gender, disadvantage and age gaps in engaging with stories
In 2023, the gaps between gender, age and FSM uptake were consistently smaller for listening to audio than for reading or writing.
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Support wellbeing
In 2020, 1 in 3 children said that listening to audio made them feel better during the COVID-19 lockdown.
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Widen children’s access to books
For children with lower reading ages, audiobooks can help remove the barriers around reading and help them access more advanced stories.
Resources supporting audio
We have published a series of resources for parents and schools to help explore the world of audiobooks.
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Top tips to help teachers make the most of audiobooks to support children’s literacy in the classroom.Download now
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You can listen to audiobooks almost anytime and anywhere as a family - try these top tips!Download now
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Our top tips for making the most of podcasts to support pupils' literacy in the classroom and at home.Learn more
Programmes with audio elements
We’ve been working with partners including Audible, Penguin Random House, National Prison Radio and Fun Kids to include audio elements in many of our projects.
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Audiobooks are a key part of our Puffin World of Stories programme.Learn more
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Audiobook poetry anthologies are created by young people as part of our Young City Poets programme.Learn more
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We’re using audio across our criminal justice programmes, including serialising novels on National Prison Radio, setting up audio corners and training young people how to create podcasts.Learn more
Research on audiobooks
Explore our research on children and young people's and adults' engagement with audiobooks.
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This report outlines the first year-on-year findings on attitudes and behaviours around listening to audio.Learn more
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This report from our 2022 Annual Literacy Survey explores how children and young people are listening to audio and engaging with stories and information through audiobooks...Learn more
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Our latest research into adults' engagement with audiobooks finds links to wellbeing and mental stimulation.Learn more
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Our new report commissioned by Tonies shows how audiobooks can help build reading engagement with younger childrenLearn more
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Report on children and young people's engagement with audiobooks based on our 2021 Annual Literacy ReviewLearn more
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Report on the podcast listening habits and attitudes of young people aged 11 to 18.Learn more
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This report outlines findings from our tenth Annual Literacy Survey relating to children and young people’s engagement with audiobooks in 2020, alongside findings from our...Learn more
