10 reasons why your school should join Listening Books
Here at Listening Books, we’re passionate about everybody having access to stories – no matter how they read. And with The National Literacy Trust reporting that 1 in 2 children and young people said listening to audio enabled them to better understand a story or subject (48.4%), audiobooks are undoubtedly an important resource for this age range.
With the school term soon set to restart, why not consider a Listening Books membership to help your school pupils with SEND? Our affordable educational resources are a key tool for helping pupils that struggle to read due to illnesses, disabilities, mental health conditions or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
Read on to find out more about how our audiobook lending service can help benefit both SEND pupils and teachers.
1. Audiobooks help unlock barriers for SEND students
Audiobooks offer an engaging way to help support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), especially those with dyslexia, ADHD or physical challenges. This medium removes the barriers which reading often entails, including struggles around ‘decoding’ the words on a page, instead allowing students to focus on absorbing and enjoying the content - especially if the narrator is particularly engaging.
For children with lower reading ages, audiobooks also help level the playing field, allowing students access to higher-level texts. This helps boost their motivation and confidence, along with helping to contribute to key progress targets.
2. Audiobooks help to encourage a love of reading
With reading barriers removed, the multi-sensory experience of audiobooks - especially immersive dramatisations – can help foster an individual’s enjoyment and love of reading through engaging and accessible content. This is particularly valuable for reluctant readers.
As children's reading enjoyment and reading frequency continue to decline, inspiring and encouraging a love of reading has never been more crucial – no matter the medium.
3. Audiobooks help boost reading comprehension and communication skills
Listening to audiobooks read by professional narrators helps students improve their language skills, comprehension and vocabulary thanks to the narrator’s fluent and engaging delivery. Students’ understanding of the text is also helped by their tone of voice, emphasis and timing.
Students who listen to higher-level texts with a more varied vocabulary and language patterns, also help to build upon their word recognition, understanding of story structure and reading development.
4. Our wide range of popular titles enhance curriculum learning
With a school membership, you and your students gain access to thousands of audiobooks - including fiction and non-fiction, set texts and study guides - for ages 7 and up.
Our collection is aligned with the National Curriculum, covering KS2 through to GCSEs and A-levels, and features beloved titles like Wonder, To Kill a Mockingbird, An Inspector Calls and a wide range of Shakespeare plays.
But it's not just the classics, we also offer a range of popular titles such as Marcus Rashford’s Breakfast Club Adventures, Tom Fletcher’s The Christmasaurus series and Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon series.
Click here to see the full range of GCSE and A-Level Set Texts and Study Guides.
5. Access our teacher dashboard and additional resources
With a Listening Books membership, you’ll have access to an easy-to-use dashboard packed with additional resources and teaching tools - think posters, certificates, reading journals, suggested reading lists and a ready-to-use parent letter template.
You can set up to 10 student logins, each with built-in safety features like age controls and user history tracking. Plus, you’ll be able to borrow audiobooks to support your lesson planning and classroom prep.
6. Access to leading newspapers and magazines
Another fantastic benefit of a Listening Books membership is the option to access an included PressReader account.
A PressReader account unlocks access to over 7,000 leading magazines and newspapers from around the world – perfect for student research, staying up to date with current affairs, and inspiring broader reading habits.
Popular titles include Science Focus, National Geographic, Empire and Wired.
7. Home and school access for students
Audiobooks aren’t just for the classroom! Once you’ve assigned accounts to students, they can login and enjoy listening anytime, anywhere via the Libby app – ideal for flexible learning on the go.
Better still, students can continue accessing the service throughout the summer (if the school membership is still in date), making it a fantastic resource for summer reading challenges and ongoing development.
8. Easy setup and ongoing support
If you're thinking about joining but not quite ready to commit, why not book a demonstration with our friendly support team? They'll walk you through the service and answer any questions you may have.
Once you become a member, our support team will arrange a short training session to walk you through setting up pupil access and explore all the features available.
And if there are any specific additional titles you'd like to see in our collection, please do get in touch, as we may be able to add them for you
9. Real impact on students and teachers
But don’t just take our word for it - here’s what teachers have to say about their experience with Listening Books:
“I have been using Listening Books for over a year now. I absolutely love it. It has transformed children in my class and their opinion on books and reading. I can't applaud your work enough.”
- Mr Andrew, St Gabriel's Primary School
“We use Listening Books across KS1 and KS2 and find it a valuable resource. It helps dyslexic and SEND children access age-appropriate books that genuinely interest them, rather than those limited by their reading level. This not only boosts vocabulary and sparks imagination but also helps them relax and enjoy books.”
- Primary School Teacher
10. Affordable access to thousands of audiobooks
As a charity, Listening Books offers schools a subsidised membership starting at just £125 per year for 10 student logins - with no hidden fees. Students can enjoy access throughout the summer (if the membership is still in date), and you’ll receive an additional free login each time you renew.
Find out more or sign up today for instant access to our full range of educational audiobooks. You can request an invoice during the application process or choose to pay by card or direct debit.
Author: Nicola Austin
