Audiobooks, homework research, and the "read for 20 minutes" rule

De Facto Leaders

If the schools are devoting time and money to improving reading instruction, how should the rest of the day look for kids as it pertains to literacy?

Should parents be working with kids at home? If so, how much? What about reading? Can we use apps to help build language skills? How about audiobooks?

A common recommendation is that we should read 20 minutes a day, several times a week.
I had a hard time nailing down a specific study that “proved” that this is an ideal amount, so where did this recommendation come from?

I discuss answers to questions like this in episode 149 of De Facto Leaders.
In this episode, I share:

✅Is listening to an audiobook the same as reading it in print, and will it make you a better reader?

✅If we can’t agree on whether or not homework is beneficial, how can we figure out what kids should be doing outside the school day?

✅Why do teachers often recommend reading 20 minutes a day, and why did this become the magic number?

✅Will encouraging a struggling reader to sit down with a book make them hate reading even more?
In this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that teaches language and literacy professionals a framework for language therapy that builds the skills kids need to benefit from core reading instruction.

I also mentioned the following episodes of De Facto Leaders for discussions on project-based learning and improving the connection between home and school:

Do school leaders need coaching (with Dan Kelley): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-114-do-school-leaders-need-coaching-with-dan-kelley/

Cell phones, 1:1 device initiatives, and homework policies in K-12 Education (with Dr. John Burkey): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-139-cell-phones-11-device-initiatives-and-homework-policies-in-k-12-education-with-dr-john-burkey/

Becoming a school founder and empowering students through project-based learning (with Tanya Sheckley): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-144-becoming-a-school-founder-and-empowering-students-through-project-based-learning-with-tanya-sheckley/

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