Being able to read is an essential skill in our world, yet most people, especially with the fast-paced lifestyles of today, only read what they have to in order to accommodate their most immediate needs. This is especially true of children whose attentiveness is already distracted on many fronts by audio-visual pursuits provided by the technological society of today. Audio textbooks are revolutionizing the learning process for both teachers and students.

For example, many youths already see and hear on new video phones, or at least complete one activity whilst listening to a phone call on the older more prevalent mobile phones; play video games (marketed toward youth) available on arcade-style video games, portable hand-held devices (Gameboy etc.), console stations for TV (e.g: Playstation & Xboy), even mobile phones. And that is not to mention films and other audio-visual projects available on video, CDROM, VCD/DVD, or at the cinema.

In fact, aside from technological pursuits, everything you do contains an audio-visual element, and doing constitutes a direct pathway to learning, for what else is doing than gaining experience? And what else is experience other than the stuff of learning?

Contrast then, the bulk of daily activity (the stuff of learning), and its audio-visual element, with the main technique for learning at school: reading from books. Reading is a none audible activity insofar as it is usually done is relative silence; whatever is audible while reading is either ignored or is a distraction from reading. Subsequently, reading requires more concentration because it relies on the faculty of sight alone; it is not assisted by audio stimulation.

It may then come as no surprise that most people, especially kids, shy away from reading: with all the alternative activities available, that provide a more thorough stimulation (audio and visual), reading, is noticeably harder and much less fun. MP3 players and audio textbook downloads are however not associated with the tiresome task of reading.

But now audio textbooks make it possible for children (and adults) to get greater stimulation, and thus offer an easier pathway to learning from materials that they would not otherwise gain from reading alone. Of course, one must still read, but by hearing the material at the same time as seeing, it makes reading much more interesting, and enables the material to arrive in the brain audibly and visually, ensuring easier processing, thus easier learning. Audio textbook downloads make material easy for students to access anytime from anyplace at reasonable costs.

Educational professionals have realized the great potential for enhancing the learning process offered by providing audio-visual channels, and subsequently, many schools have now brought audio textbooks into the classrooms, and they have past the test with flying colors.

Helen Wall is the author of this article. Visit http://www.AudioBooksBonanza.com to download audio books from an extensive range of titles from top publishers. Join the free newsletter now and get to know about the latest hot off the press titles, receive time limited special offers and discounts, before anyone else.