Reflection- what role do podcasts play in improving children’s literacy?
The activity- Children’s Podcast Review
Podcasts are an important part of modern digital literacy, and they’re an effective education tool for schools and libraries alike. I reviewed Short and Curly (see Appendix A), an ethics and philosophy podcast produced in Australia by the ABC. Aimed at the primary school demographic, the shows pose ethical questions with a broad range of topics pertaining to the lives of young people. The shows encourage listening, questioning, research and further reading. The scope of the topics covered helped me to reflect on how podcasts have altered information dissemination and how they can benefit children’s literacy.
Professional Learning
We often refer to the digital divide, those with the access and skills to engage with the digital information world. Libraries play an important role in closing this divide. Children have been born into this world engaging with technology in some way or another from the earliest stages of their lives, so using podcasts as a tool for accessing information seems like a natural progression, particularly for addressing the glaring gaps in literacy levels between children of different socio- economic groups. Research also “illustrates the emancipatory potential of the podcast medium” and shows how it can be used effectively in the library and school environment to address reading deficits and promote the diversity of language. (Figueroa, 2022, p.6).
Figueroa also cites a tweet by Dr Clara Bauler in which she says, “I really love that in most podcasts that I listen to, hosts and participants are not trying to police their language or sound ‘standard.’ It seems to be a genre that allows for increasing linguistic diversity,” (Bauler, cited by Figueroa, 2022, p.6) The underlying premise here for libraries is that it can improve literacy by helping children to engage with information and feel represented in the collection. We know that children learn language despite it being spoken or signed. The National Literary Trust in the UK claims that, “research does suggest that digital technology can play a powerful role in facilitating dialogue and collaboration” and cite improved listening and speaking as a result. (National Literary Trust, 2020, p.10) They also refer to podcasts specifically as having a profound effect on reading patterns of children with improved frequency, from all backgrounds. This reinforces the learning that audio and podcasts in particular can provide new tools with which to engage children and young people with literacy.
From an information professional’s perspective, podcasts can be an effective way to enrich the existing collection of a library, by the promoting popular books and programs available. Kitty Felde and Pamela Rogers suggest ways that IPs can incorporate podcasts into existing library programming, such as; Acting out stories along with audio for story-time, using music from podcasts to illustrate themes in stories, offer pod clubs to compliment book clubs, or host your own original podcast series addressing questions posed by children. (Felde & Rogers, 2017). The are a myriad of possibilities for using podcasts to engage the listening and the readers and to improve their literacy within the library environment.
References
Felde, K., & Rogers, P. (2017). Now Playing . . .Using Podcasts and Kidcasts in the Library. Children & Libraries, 15(2), 9–12. https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.15n2.09
Figueroa, M. (2022). Podcasting past the paywall: How diverse media allows more equitable participation in linguistic science. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 42, 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190521000118
National Literary Trust (2020, Oct). Children and Young People’s Engagement with Podcasts before and during Lockdown. [Report]. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED611385
Smith, C., Daniels, M., Beard, M. (2018- present). Short and Curly [Audio podcast]. https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/shortandcurly
Appendix A- Short and Curly Podcast Review
Short and Curly is a podcast designed for children and parents, that poses some serious and some light hearted questions with an ethical focus. Listeners are encouraged to consider different interpretations to assorted topics including; Should Children Swear? Should robots replace humans? When does curiosity become rudeness? Should we kill insects? and Are humans evil? Questions are posed by children and explored throughout the episodes, including their own ethical perspectives. Interaction is also encouraged, with prompts throughout the show to do their own research and explore personal opinions. The topics are engaging, but designed to provoke opinions and debate and consider the ethical implications in our everyday lives. No question is too silly or irrelevant, because the show is designed to nurture the art of questioning and applying perspective.
The podcast has three hosts; Carl Smith, a Walkley Award-winning science journalist, Molly Daniels is an Australian actress, Writer and Director and Dr Matthew Beard, from The Ethics Centre, is a Moral Philosopher. Each brings a different perspective and tone to the shows. Produced by the ABC, each podcast is 20-25 minutes duration and keeps the energy up with intermittent music and various voices. As a digital product, the podcast itself is an effective format combing spoken word audio with music and soundbites that illustrate the conversation.
The podcast demonstrates to young listeners that philosophical questions are not just for adults because it doesn’t make the mistake of underestimating their thinking and ability to reason or consider views. Topics having relevancy to the target audience is key to its success. Short and Curly offers great content in a podcast format, available through ABC apps.