If You Give Yourself a Book-on-Tape...

You will be a better reader.
Just like giving a mouse a cookie, or a pig a pancake, there are serious consequences involved when you listen to a book on tape. But doesn't listening to the book defeat the purpose of learning about good literature? No way! Listening does several wonderful things. First, you hear the story. Obvious, I know, but isn't that the point? We all love a great story!

You will be a Brain-iac.
Audio helps you understand books that are above your reading level. How? Because you hear all the vocabulary and sentences read with correct phrasing. The reader understands the meaning of the words, so he or she interprets it correctly for you. Whether you realize it or not, you've just been handed the gift of several new words and their meanings wrapped up with a bow. Now you'll be able to use the words in conversation (ooh la la, aren't you a smarty-pants). You know the pronunciation and at least one meaning. Spelling and other shades of meaning can now more easily link themselves into your brain.

You will be a better writer.
How is this possible, without a pen in front of you, you marvel? Trust me, it's true. If you study music at all, you'll see it's the same concept: you are training your ear to distinguish complete sentences, developed ideas, dialogue and dialect, plot development, and lots of other fancy things you need for good writing. When you go to write your own ideas down, your brain already has a blueprint of the forms you need. It'll just take practice to link up the ideas on the right side of your brain with the blueprints waiting on the left side!

You will be a better Orator, or Reader-Aloud (Hmm, maybe I should get out the Synonym Finder)
Same concept as above. It's no problem now for you to read aloud with meaning and expression, because you've heard it done so many times. Without realizing it, you will automatically search for the natural pauses and emphases the writer so thoughtfully provided for you with their punctuation. Which reminds me, if you give yourself a book-on-tape, you'll be a much better grammarian...

Get the idea?

When should you get a an audiobook instead of print?
Whenever you have to paint your room, rake the leaves, scrub the kitchen, build with legos, knit some socks, bead a rosary, drive long distances while avoiding reading-induced car sickness, or any other mindless chore where your hands and eyes can't possibly be two places at once! How about before bed? During lunch? Whenever you might be tempted to watch a mindless show on TV?

So yes, Mom and Dad, it's perfectly fine if your child LISTENS to our Book Club choices on audio!