Story Time Podcasts: A Theoretical Exploration.

The very first edition of the Gentle Heart Reading Room podcast has arrived, and you can find it on Soundcloud, or Spotify. In this episode I take a moment to talk about the theoretical foundations of story time podcasts and how they can help kids understand big concepts and build reading and comprehension skills. I also briefly explore what benefits and limitations are involved in using digital media to facilitate learning and engagement.

While future planned episodes will focus on sharing stories for young children, this recording establishes the underpinning ideas behind my work and provides an opportunity for parents, carers and educators to understand the potential benefits of incorporating story time into their listening schedule.

While undertaking further study in the area of children’s literature this past year, I have been introduced to many new and interesting concepts. My focus has broadened as I have been encouraged to step outside of my comfort zone, the podcast space being one of them. I have planned on a story time podcast for well over a year, I have selected stories, prepared drafts, installed new programs, but the technical side of making it happen felt too big to navigate. But to learn and grow we must try new things and push boundaries, otherwise we simply stay still, as Lao Tzu says, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.     

My work is always founded in research and evidence-based practice, as this project is too, and a full list of references that accompany the blog can be found at the bottom of this post. There are many and varied ways of searching for knowledge, but an open, honest and broad approach is the best way to establish a rounded view of the topic. Quotes and citations are embedded within the podcast and a full reference list is provided for further reading.

Podcasts can be controversial, and even more so when they are produced for children, as they are largely unmediated, and consumer driven. Yet, the humble story time podcast can have wonderful benefits to children’s literature engagement and reading skills, something that I have highlighted throughout this episode.

The chart on the left demonstrates a variety of positive outcomes linked to story time podcasts and audiobooks that were identified by the National Literacy Trust in the United Kingdom (Best 2022). There is a clear pattern of benefits to overall literacy including improvements in; reading, writing and comprehension. It is also believed that listening to stories inspires children’s imagination and creativity.

I am so looking forward to exploring this area more and working on future episodes within the Gentle Heart Reading Room space. We have some great stories ready to share and are working hard to get these out later in the year. Stay tuned for the next update!

This podcast has been written and spoken by Anita Ahmadizadeh.

The background music has been selected form Spotify’s podcast library and is available for use by producers.

Creative Commons, Eating Lunch1.flac by Tim Khan (2006). Licenced under CC BY 4.0. Accessed at Freesound - eating lunch 1.flac by tim.kahn 

Reference List

1.    Jarrett, K. (2009). Private talk in the public sphere: Podcasting as broadcast talk. Communication, Politics & Culture, 42(2), 116–135. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/doi/10.3316/informit.942760481118381

2.    McHugh, S. (2022). The power of podcasting: Telling stories through sound. NewSouth Publishing. ProQuest Ebook Central.

3.    Van Den Beemt, A., Thurlings, M., & Willems, M. (2020). Towards an understanding of social media use in the classroom: A literature review. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 29(1), 35-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2019.1695657

4.    Sadler, N. (2021). Fragmented narrative: Telling and interpreting stories in the Twitter age. Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central.

5.    Best, E. (2022). Children and young people's listening in 2022: A National Literacy Trust research report. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=6528f447-5c65-372f-86d5-779437034f5a

6.    Grover, S., & Hannegan, L. D. (2012). Listening to learn: Audiobooks supporting literacy. American Library Association. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=093314ff-12fb-35e9-8a65-27662aaad99c