There is a drastic change in education. Education during pandemic is heavily relying on online or virtual learning platforms. There are diverse ways one can make classes interesting. Some are using new technology-based products and teaching aids available in the market.
Audio content is one aspect that makes learning fun and engaging for children. Anything in addition to paper-based products gives a sense of excitement. We should note that both audio and video content have benifits. But in this blog, we will look into how audio content helps a child in grow in various aspects. Before the emergence of video, audio content was a major source of entertainment for the young and old.
However, during the pandemic, there is extensive use of video. While video has its own positive and negative effects on a child’s development, let’s see uses of audio content.
1) Language skills: Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic learning environments gives effective learning. Every child has a unique style of learning that works the best for them. Use of all three learning styles is beneficial to the overall development of a child. Audio makes the listener, in this case, a child to pay attention to the language being used in the audio. To learn from audio, a child doesn’t need to sit still, doesn’t have to look at a screen or doesn’t even need to be alert or awake. This means development of skills mentioned above.
2) Vocabulary, Pronunciation & Accent: Childs focus in audio is to the language used, the words spoken. Even the accent, the pronunciation and the expressions. Children imitate these words in the accent and pronunciation they heard them in and develop their verbal language and presentation skills. A child’s vocabulary improves to a large extent through rhymes, action songs and stories.
3) Sentence structure: Listening to audio content like rhymes or stories help a child understand the sentence structures. Improves their grammar expressions and feelings too. When a child listens to an audio story, they hear and understand and use it in real life.
4) Communication skills: Learning in audio format does wonders to a child’s ability to communicate. Listening to stories, singing rhymes, dancing to songs enable a child to learn communication skills.
5) Listening skills: Building listening skills is essential for a child’s life-long learning and development. Without this skill, it is difficult to teach or learn anything at all. Listening to music, songs, rhymes, stories, sounds in audio format develops their listening skills. You can play any entertaining educational audio content at home and children can listen to it while they play and go about their day-to-day activities. You could use this as one way you help stop your child’s phone addiction. Passive listening teaches them so much!
6) Imaginative & Creative skills: When a child listens to a story, they start to image it. For instance, when a child listens to ‘Mary has a little lamb,’ he/she paints a picture of how the lamb looks like. They think how Mary might look like and how they may have played together or lived together. This imagination or visual representation in the mind of a child will not happen when they see a video as they get to see what they listen to. This is how audio helps a child grow in a way that video does not.
7) Builds confidence: Audio learning boosts their confidence levels. The child feels confident to speak out their thoughts. Building confidence in your child goes a long way. It helps to be more independent, bold, courageous.
8) Attention to detail: Attention to detail is a skill that children need to master. This is not just for their education but also for their career. This keeps them focused which helps a child strengthen their memory as well.
9) No eye strain: There is no strain on the eyes with audio form of learning or entertainment. Age-appropriate, child friendly educational and enjoyable content is beneficial to a child. Loud or inappropriate content as it can be detrimental to the child’s growth and development.
Audio learning sure has certain advantages that video learning. Now that you are aware of it, go ahead and ensure your child has a fair share of audio learning. In case you have nothing available, just use your own voice. You can sing a rhyme with expressions, actions and voice modulation and see the magic you create in your child’s eyes!
