During the pandemic, as we were debating our next venture in the world of children’s educational entertainment, we decided to turn to podcasting. Podcasting was something we could do right in our homes. We could write, record and edit shows while maintaining impeccable social distance. We even thought up a great name for our new podcast: WHO SMARTED? There was just one problem—everything we’d ever done before was visual. Now we had to teach and entertain kids simply through sound…
Our previous ventures, Brainchild and Brain Games, drew upon years of research we’d done into the psychology of visual education and video games, but now, we were leaving the safety of our screens and venturing out with an audio-only production. So, what did we learn? For starters, we were stunned to discover the myriad benefits of audio education. Here are five reasons your kid should be listening to podcasts:
- Audio education actually engages children’s imaginations more than video. By letting children use their occipital lobes (visual imaging) to create images, rather than processing incoming visual information from a video—it literally helps unlock their minds.
- Audio allows children to comprehend learning at grade levels as much as three times higher than their reading comprehension level—meaning audio can be used to accelerate your child’s learning.
- Children who learn concepts from audio lessons are more likely to engage in follow up conversations about the material, versus children who only read about the same concepts. And by engaging in conversations, children are more likely to have greater retention and ownership of the material.
- Too much screen time teaches children’s developing brains that the world is a passive, endless stream of information, which can potentially lead to issues with their attention span and ability to focus.
- Children with more than a few hours a day of screen time also show reduced comprehension and test scores, and in some cases actually show a thinning of the brain’s cortex. Learning by audio gives children a needed break from screens.
As you introduce your children to the wide world of podcasts, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:
Kids Want the Facts
While early episodes of our podcast took their time setting up the topic, we soon discovered kids want information and they want it really fast. Look for shows that get right to the point with whatever topic they’re presenting and hook them in immediately.
Kids Want the Funny
It might seem obvious, but kids really do respond well to comedy and fun. There are many podcasts that deliver great information—but in a very dry manner that turns kids off from engaging. Find options that package learning in a fast and funny scripted world.
Kids Love Games
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it often gets overlooked in educational settings. Engagement can easily be amplified by turning a question into a multiple-choice quiz. Search for podcasts with some form of mini tournaments, where points are awarded to encourage kids to engage with learning.
Kids Love Interaction
Great podcasts engage kids by asking their opinions on things. Or telling them to nod their heads or raise their hands. Of course, the hosts can’t hear their answers or see them nodding or raising their hands… but your kids are not thinking about that. Instead, they’re fully engaged with the show.
Kids Feel Less > More
Too many voices/characters. Too many twists and turns in a story. Too much music. Too many sound effects. All of these factors can contribute to kids getting lost, being distracted or feeling unable to follow what’s going on. And once they’ve reached that stage, you’ve lost them. So, in many cases, less is more. Look for shows with just a few characters and avoid a large amount of “soundscape”. Instead, look for shows that keep stories simple and easy to follow.
Not only are many kids currently listening and learning from podcasts—it seems they might be doing so in a way that helps them imagine and retain more; unlock their minds, promote their curiosity and further interest in a topic or topics. If your kid isn’t already listening to podcasts, today is a great day to start!
Jerry Kolber and Adam Davis are the co-founders of Atomic Entertainment and the creators of Who Smarted?
