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Question: I have set a book goal for this year. Do I count audio books? I listen to one a week. But, that’s not really reading…

Question: I have set a book goal for this year.

Do I count audio books? I listen to one a week. But, that’s not really reading…

Amy #questionnaire #audio book

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77 Answers

Jeni

Yes, I count them.

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Rachel

I’d count them.

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Melissa

Count them, you got the content and story. Who cares how you got it?!?!

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Kathleen

I had a semi-similar delimma when I was considering a super short set of books — I ended up increasing my goal a bit and “half” counted them. So instead of having a goal of 40, I bumped it up to 42 to account for them partially…as everyone told me then, it was my goal (and this is yours) so do what you want! But I count them, just change how a bit…

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Kelly

They definitely count

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Jan

Yes!

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Darcie

I count mine and consider it reading

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Leah

Audio books take me just as much time and concentration as any other book. There’s plenty of studies and articles out there showing that listening to an audiobook is the same as reading it with your eyes.

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Cami

@Leah audio books actually usually take me a lot longer than ‘reading’ a book. I totally count them.

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Kristen

I count them!

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Kara

I count them.

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Colleen

They totally count!

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Kelly

They totally count, you’re still taking time to listen and process stories. I had a patient that was legally blind who loved books. If it weren’t for her audio books she’d never “read” again.

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Mert

Yes. I would say so, and i don’t like audio books

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Katrenia

Yes!

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Tracy

I do!

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Jodie

We count them. My daughter has dyslexia and we consider audiobooks ear reading vs eye reading!

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Leah

@Jodie yes! I have dyslexia and while I’ve “worked through” reading books, audio books are so much easier for me to grasp many times.

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Dani

Yes count audiobooks. It’s really the same as reading imo.

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Julie

Yes!!!!!!

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Laura

I count them!

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Kathy

Count them!

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Jeri

I do too

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Amanda

Ugh!! Yes you count audio books lol! The great debate lives on ?

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Vicki

I used to feel like you do. Until someone pointed out this – if you read the book and I listened to the audio could we have a thorough discussion about what happened? Why yes we could. So yes it counts ?.

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Carrie

Absolutely! A book is a book! Big, little, adult, young adult, middle school, audio, print, ebook, graphic novel. They all count.

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Valerie

Yes. It takes the same amount of time. Now watching the movie? No.

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Brandi

Yes! http://www.danielwillingham.com/daniel-willingham-science-and-education-blog.html

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Kate

I personally don’t count audiobooks because I don’t pay attention enough. I’m not a great auditory learner, so I tend to listen to books I’ve already read so I can know what’s going on even after I’ve zoned out for 3 chapters ??

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Suzanne

If someone was sitting in the car reading to you, you would count it. If a teacher read it out loud to a class they would count it. Of course it counts!

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Amanda

I only have time for audiobooks. So yes, they count!

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Kelly

Here’s my teacher side coming out: the main purpose for reading is to comprehend the material. Listening to audiobooks absolutely counts.

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Rachel

Yes. Reading is reading.

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Laurie

I count them. They account for about half of my read books.

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Sylvia

If a story gets from a storyteller to a “reader”…no matter the mode…it counts. Storytelling is storytelling.

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Crystal

Yes. I do!!!

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Tyra

People with sight deficiencies would certainly call it reading, as would I.

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Michelle

I count them!

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Jennifer

Totally count them! But my hubby says, no :/

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Agatha

Count audio books!

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Karen

Of course!

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Mary

Yes

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Christy

Yes yes

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Rebecca

I refer to that as “consuming” books. And unless you can’t recount the story when you finish listening, I can’t see why they wouldn’t count!

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Sarah

Yes, count them!

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Jennifer

Yes, of course they do.

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Pam

Yes audiobooks absolutely count!

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Betsey

If I read the hard cover, you listen to the audio and our (imaginary) friend SallyBeth reads the E-book she checked out from the online library, we’ve all had a different experience but consumed the same information. We could each theoretically write a book report or have a discussion about the content. I see this question a lot and it makes me a little sad. But I’ll admit I’m biased toward audiobooks. I drive an average of 100 miles per day and would never have time to “read” anything were it not for audiobooks.

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Kelli

@Betsey great point!

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Andrea

@Betsey well said! Audiobooks definitely count!

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Terri

I count them!

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Lisa

Is Listening to a Book the Same Thing as Reading It? https://nyti.ms/2zQorZH?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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Lisa

I hate this question. Why would we shortchange ourselves by placing arbitrary rules on what ‘counts’?

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Sharon

If students in schools can have an accommodation of having audiobooks or tests read to them or lessons in audio format, then it certainly “counts” when you listen to an audio book! Some people are auditory learners and people that learn better that way would enjoy listening to books rather than reading them!

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Erin

Yes, audiobooks certainly count as reading. Translating a coded message into an intelligible language, which is what we do when we use our eyes to translate letters into words, is called decoding. I’ve met many students who could decode words but were not able to read because they were not able to derive meaning from what they’d decoded. Reading is the complex process of deriving meaning from words. Actual reading is the meaning and experiences we attach to words, whether decoded or listened to. Through audiobooks, we participate in this complex process through language acquisition, inferencing, communicating, questioning, connecting, predicting, synthesizing information and ideas, exploring feelings and relationships, and sharing information and ideas.

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Sue

Hmmm I would have said no but I think I’m in the minority.

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Natalie

Yes it is reading.

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Jennifer

It absolutely is reading! The narrator reads the entire book so you’re getting the information/story through a different way.

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Jodi

I don’t listen to audio books but I believe it “counts”. You have to be engaged… the only part not engaged that is normally working while traditionally reading is your eyeballs.

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Cindy

I count audiobooks in my yearly total.

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Jan

I count them.

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Tamara

Scientists have proven that it is really reading. All the same areas light up in your brain under scans and the same things happen in the body. They count.

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Alexis

Why would you not count them?

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Tammy

Totally reading. Definite count.

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Dot

I count it and the benefit is you can listen to a book while you are exercising or driving to work etc.
I also read books when I am at home but having an audiobook for my time out and about is pleasurable!
I count both!

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Tasha

Sure, they count

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Megan

I count them. They make up the bulk of my reading because I have a significant commute time, and when it’s quiet, I listen at work too. I prefer to listen to audiobooks over listening to music, and usually have one print book and one audio going at a time

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Liz

Yes, count audiobooks.

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Sara

I count them!

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Venessa

What’s your goal?

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Darci

YES!

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Anise

Audiobooks is still the consumption of literature.

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Sherrie

Yes.

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Lisa

yes! would you tell a blind person that listening to a book isn’t really reading? I doubt it. IMO it doesn’t matter how you take in the book, what important is the enjoyment, learning, thinking and everything a story makes you feel.

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Leah

Giiiiirrrlllll…..I have so many feels about your statement. Audiobooks are totally reading!

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Kristin

I consider audio books ‘reading’ while driving.

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Darrin

Of course they count!!

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