Recorded Books (also called Tape Assisted Reading)

Recorded books provide readers with a model of fluent reading. Students read along in a text as they hear a fluent reader read on the tape. Recorded books can be an effective addition to paired reading.

How Recorded Books Can Foster Fluency, Word Recognition, and Comprehension in Struggling Readers

In the 1970s, Marie Carbo found that students who read along with "talking books" made significant reading gains that exceeded the teacher and researcher's expectations -- an average of 8 months' gain in word recognition in 3 months' time. Another group of researchers (Smith & Elley, 1997) found that students who listened to high-interest recorded stories at their instructional levels for 15 to 25 minutes every day for 27 weeks made an average gain of 2.2 years in their reading abilities. In addition, reading lots of different stories may help develop students' comprehension abilities.

Recorded books can also be effective for students who are learning English as a second language. Koskinen et al. (1999) found that reading along with recorded books increased ESL students' reading achievement, interest, and self-confidence. For this study, researchers recorded two readings per story. The first recording was a slower, more deliberate pace, which allowed students to focus on individual words and phrases. The second was a faster, more fluent pace. Students were encouraged to select "dog gone good book" bags that included a book and an audiotape so that they could listen to the stories at home. Koskinen and colleagues found that students' reading achievement and motivation improved. As an added benefit, parents reported increased interaction with other family members related to reading. One parent remarked that her whole family benefited from "listening and learning to speak English" (p. 441)!

What it looks like [pictures]

1. Student selects recorded book on his/her independent reading level.
2. Student listens to tape while reading along in the text.
3. Student rereads the text aloud along with the tape.
4. The student may continue to reread the text until she/he can read it independently.

Note: Most researchers recommend that teachers (or other models of fluent reading) create the audiotapes. The recording should not include distractions such as sound effects or music.

Teacher Tips

• When recording texts, be sure to include a signal for page turns.

How do you use recorded books in your class? Submit your ideas here!

References

Carbo, M. (1978). Teaching reading with talking books. The Reading Teacher, 32, 267-273.

Kuhn, M. R. & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 3-21.

Koskinen, P. S., Blum, I. H., Bisson, S. A., Phillips, S. M., Creamer, T. S., & Baker, T. K. (1999). Shared reading, books, and audiotapes: Supporting diverse students in school and at home. The Reading Teacher, 52, 430-444.

Smith, J. & Elley, W. (1997). How children learn to read: Insights from the New Zealand experience. Katonah, NY: Richard C. Owen.