Audible Australia has collaborated with The Shepherd Centre to gift audiobook memberships to its students who are deaf or have hearing loss to strengthen their language skills and help them enjoy the magic of storytelling.
Audible Australia has given access to its premium plus membership for 12 months to the children and their families to help them develop crucial listening skills, expand vocabulary and improve comprehension.
Dr Aleisha Davis, CEO of The Shepherd Centre, said listening played a key role in language development.
“The auditory cortex is most active when a child listens and reads,” she said. “Strengthening listening skills can significantly improve a child’s ability to process spoken language in everyday situations.
“For children with hearing loss, exposure to audiobooks can provide an accessible and engaging way to build vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence.”
The rise of digital media meant that learning through listening was becoming increasingly important, she added.
With many hearing devices now allowing direct streaming from apps such as Audible, children with hearing loss had more opportunities than ever to immerse themselves in stories, practise listening skills, and foster independence, Dr Davis said.
Ms Leanne Cartwright-Bradford, head of APAC at Audible, highlighted the broader impact of audiobooks for children with hearing loss.
“We understand the transformative power of storytelling and the important role audiobooks play in inspiring children to listen, imagine, and create,” she said.
“Audiobooks bring huge value to children and adults alike, helping listeners expand their vocabularies and deepen their understanding of language. We’re thrilled to support The Shepherd Centre in providing meaningful listening experiences to children with hearing loss.”
The centre said hearing loss affected about one in 1,000 children at birth. By school age, that number increased to two in 1,000.
This could impact vocabulary development, as children with hearing loss may not always hear every word spoken around them. Listening skills were essential for language acquisition, and audiobooks could be an invaluable tool to support this process.
While listening to stories was a fundamental part of learning and development, for children with hearing loss, accessing the full richness of spoken language could be more challenging.
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