Listen & Learn: Podcast Recommendations for Elementary-Aged Kids

Girl headphones.png

When I drive with my three kids we usually listen to podcasts on most car rides over 15 minutes. Driving to 7-11 is not enough time for a story, but a trip to San Francisco gives us the opportunity to fit in a story each way. This also helps keep our three year old awake, which is important for his current sleep schedule.

We developed a habit and then a love of listening to podcast stories. Now, each of our children gets to choose a story and each child has their favorites.

Benefits of Podcasts

Listening to podcasts has three main educational benefits. First, you are reducing screen time. When you listen to stories you engage your mind more than passively watching a screen. As kids listen to a story they hear the words and have to use their imagination to paint a picture in their mind.  

 
Story Time.png
 

Second, listening to stories teaches literacy -- kids practice summarizing and analyzing stories almost automatically. Literacy skills such as summarizing plot, characters movitations and story setting directly correlate to skills tested in school. 

Finally, developing a habit of listening to podcasts can translate to listening to audiobooks or other important audio content when kids get older. As an adult do you listen to news radio?

Our Favorites

When my family drives for longer distances, we usually turn to our two favorite podcasts: Story Time.fm and Little Stories for Tiny People (for the record, my wife and I also find these stories interesting and often get caught up in the dramatic retellings).

If you are a first-time listener, I recommend starting with one of the Buffy Bunny stories. One of our favorites is “Buffy Bunny Can’t Cook.” You can listen to it here or subscribe to Story Time wherever you download your podcasts. 

Another family favorite podcast is Little Stories for Tiny People. Though we started listening to these stories in the car, we have graduated to listening to them at home to help the kids go to sleep. Again, if you are a first time listener, try starting with Little Hedgehog Goes to School: A Silly School Story for Kids. This story is 17 minutes long and focuses on what really happens on Hedgehog’s first day of school. Listen here or download the story wherever you subscribe to podcasts. 

Tiny Stories.png

In Conclusion

There are a lot of wonderful audible stories available. Whatever stories you choose, you are making a great educational choice for your kids. You are encouraging literacy -- even before kids can read books themselves. The skills they develop early on will help them become independent readers later in life. Happy listening!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Featured
Jesse Roselin
Jesse Roselin

Founder & Head of School
Jesse founded Pacific Preparatory in 2002 and has carefully managed the growth of the school to ensure that all students are matched with truly exceptional teachers. He provides educational consulting services to schools and families, maintains thoughtful relationships with our community of education professionals, and supports the leadership team. Jesse is also the co-founder of the Tutor Corps Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides tutoring scholarships to under-resourced students. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University and holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Jesse has 15 years of teaching experience and has taught through the Teach for America program in East Palo Alto and at Menlo School’s academic summer camp. He served on the board of trustees of the Marin Waldorf School in San Rafael for six years and is active in the education community. When he’s not working, Jesse and his wife are kept busy by their three children, and together they love to hike and enjoy the nature around their neighborhood in Marin County, CA.

CurriculumJesse Roselin (He/Him/His)