Children with SEND want to listen to stories – but many have never tried audiobooks, says Aylesbury-based charity

Three quarters of pupils with low reading confidence would rather listen to books than read them, yet more than a third of children surveyed by Calibre Audio have never heard an audiobook.

Primary school children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) show a clear appetite for audiobooks, but many have yet to try one, according to new research from national charity Calibre Audio.

The charity surveyed 168 pupils in Years 4 to 6 across 15 primary schools. All have a print disability and are working below age-related expectations in reading. Among those with low reading confidence, 75% said they would rather listen to books than read them, compared with 37% of more confident readers.

Yet 37% of the children surveyed had never heard an audiobook. Younger pupils were least likely to have tried them: 59% of Year 4 children said they never listen to audiobooks, compared with 26% in Year 6. Children who had tried them were positive, with 69% of the 106 pupils who rated audiobooks saying they liked or loved them. 

The survey also found that 73% of children like or love being read to. Two thirds (66%) of those who described reading as just “OK” said they prefer listening. Humour, adventure and familiar characters were popular, with Dog Man, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Roald Dahl among the favourites. As one child put it: “It is fun when I’ve got the right book.” 

The survey forms the baseline for Calibre Audio’s Assisted Reading with Audiobooks Project. The project explores how combining an audiobook with the printed text can support reading for pleasure, confidence and comprehension for pupils with SEND, and will track how children’s attitudes change over time. 

A teaching assistant involved in the Project said, “Lennie* did not typically read books at home as he said that this would be like ‘homework’ and it was therefore challenging to fit in extra-curricular reading to improve his levels. When it came to Calibre [Audio], I think he felt that whilst he was following text in a book, the simultaneous audio made it feel fun, rather than schoolwork… Every Monday, Lennie would come to ask me when we were ‘doing the book’ and as a teaching assistant this enthusiasm was a wonderful thing to witness.” 

The report identifies some key priorities: introducing audiobooks early to new listeners and starting with books children already know and enjoy. This approach echoes the National Year of Reading Go All In campaign’s focus on personal interests as a starting point for reading, to encourage people to discover reading through the passions they already have. The campaign includes audiobooks alongside novels, non-fiction, poetry, comics and other literature, recognising that reading can take many forms. 

Helen Mee, Director of Communities and Learning at Calibre Audio said: “The barrier to audiobooks looks like access or awareness, not lack of interest. Every child deserves the chance to get lost in a wonderful story. These findings are encouraging because they show that children who feel less confident about reading can still enjoy listening. In this National Year of Reading, the invitation to Go All In should be open to everyone, including those who find printed books difficult to access. That’s why Calibre Audio offer free memberships to under 18s and why Calibre Learning is free for schools.” 

Schools can find out more and register at learning.calibre.org.uk.