A no brainer?

Imagine a world where English teachers issue novels to students along with providing the audio book. Would this move inspire reluctant readers to follow along with the assigned chunks of reading? Would proficient readers be able to take their appreciation for literature to the next level if they pinball back and forth between reading the novel and listening to it? Or would the opposite happen?

Would kids ditch the magic of reading altogether if they could simply listen to the novel? As it is, we teachers generally agree that kids dump too many hours into TV watching and cruising the Internet. Reading well is a key component to being successful in college and beyond, and I cringe at the idea of kids "taking the easy way out," simply listening to the book instead of grappling with nuances and intricacies of the on paper (or on a screen). Ms. Ryan has a great sign on her door that says , "READERS ARE LEADERS," and it is so true. Look at President Obama! Look at our scientists, intellectuals, and movers and shakes in practically every field! Would we be dumbing down the curriculum by offering audio with every novel?

How would we teachers help students deal with reading passages on the SAT and HSPA if kids were fed a steady diet of audio?

I'm not sure if audio books would cause catastrophic harm. Here are my top eight reasons for making the audio book option more accessible:
1. Nearly every student has access to a listening device of some sort.
2. Students can multi-task if they chose, and do their English homework while cleaning or working out.
3. I have had great experiences with audio books, namely The Count of Monte Cristo and The Book Thief - two books I wouldn't have finished if I stuck to the straight text.
4. A couple kids in my class admitted that since they listened to The Kite Runner, in tandem with reading it, they liked it much more and remembered details they would have otherwise missed.
5. Kids who have never been read to properly as children can now have a skilled voice actor read great literature to them.
6. English as a Second Language learners need to hear the words properly pronounced.
7. Kids afraid of being laughed at for having a book in their hands will look cool listening to the audio book. Nobody will suspect them of preferring The Great Gatsby over Kanye's latest album.
8. Making copies of the audio book for educational use won't cost a dime.