The Power of Audio for Kids: How Stories, Music & Listening Help Kids Grow
Audio for kids can be more than just background noise—it can be a powerful way for children to learn, relax, and stay engaged throughout the day.
From stories and audiobooks to music and podcasts, listening gives kids another way to absorb language, process ideas, and enjoy meaningful content. For many families, audio becomes part of everyday routines—whether it’s during car rides, quiet time, or bedtime—helping kids stay connected to stories and messages that matter.
3 Benefits of Faith-based Audio for Kids
In an attention-seeking world, we all want kids who can focus, lean in, and stick around. Who can understand the meaning of a moment and the power of a story. Listening to audiobooks, audio dramas, podcasts and music for kids helps them practice being present.
A practice we can all benefit from. For kids in particular, listening offers a few key benefits:
1. Listening to stories and audiobooks helps kids become stronger readers.
Is there anything more enticing to a reluctant reader than a riveting plot line? Audiobooks pull kids in and get them invested in the outcome. Along the way, they’ll build vocabulary, learn the correct pronunciation of words and increase their own story comprehension.
And research backs this up!
In fact, in order for kids to be strong readers—a goal that’s harder to reach for today’s students than ever before—they need to master both strands of the Reading Rope. The word-recognition strand encompasses what we typically think of as reading: phonics, sight words and decoding.
But the language-comprehension strand is equally vital. This includes an understanding of how the world works, audible word recognition, and the ability to follow and process a plot line. Audiobooks are a wonderfully accessible way to build language-comprehension skills.
Additionally, a study from the Research Journal of the American Association of Libraries found that when struggling readers listened to audiobooks, not only did their reading skills improve, so also did their attitude toward cracking open a book. A win all around!
2. Listening to music and meaningful stories can help kids feel calm and secure.
You probably know this anecdotally. Songs bring courage, joy, and calm.
But we love science-backed encouragement to keep on doing a good thing. And the guidance on kids and music couldn’t be more clear. We should all turn up the tunes in our homes if we want kids and teens who can:
- Weather anxiety
- Build emotional intelligence
- And have a strong sense of self
Of course, song choice matters too. With the ability to stream just about any band from just about any device, intentional parents may need to monitor music. Thankfully, thoughtful song selection can brighten moods and set toes a-tapping.
3. Listening to podcasts and stories can support your family’s values and routines.
Podcasts might just be the best thing to come from the technology boon of recent years. And why should adults have all the fun?
Thankfully, podcasts offer short-form stories and learning opportunities that meet kids right where they are. In fact, one study found an increase in whole-family discussion related to podcast topics, and a high level of engagement for families across the socio-economic divide.
Any medium that brings families and communities together is worth celebrating. And because podcasts are easily accessible and much shorter than books, they’re particularly useful answering questions about a child’s specific interests or filling in gaps in a child’s knowledge.
When Kids Can Listen to Stories, Music, and Audio
We all want our kids to tap into creativity and to embrace the great outdoors, but sometimes kids need to chill and watch a show or read a book. And that’s fine too. As parents, we aim to make smart choices about the content our kids consume.
Thankfully, audio catalogs offer us another alternative to screen time. The best part? Kids can listen to books, podcasts and music while doing something creative or useful at the same time.
A few of our favorite kid-friendly activities to pair with a listening catalog include:
- Getting ready for the day with music or a short story
- Going for a walk while listening to stories or songs
- Building with LEGO or creating while listening to audio in the background
- Playing with toys alongside a favorite story or podcast
- Coloring or drawing during quiet listening time
- Running errands in the car—perfect for podcasts or stories kids can listen to
- Completing simple chores like folding laundry or tidying up while listening
- Afternoon rest time, especially for kids who no longer nap but still need a reset
- During the bedtime wind-down routine with calm, quiet stories
Of course, no matter how you pair it, the point we hope to make is this: listening to books, stories and music is a wonderful way for kids to engage with the world. And we can’t wait for you to add our newest collection of audio options to your list!