It seems that a company is filling a possible consumer niche. If the parents are too busy to read to the kids, there is now the possibility to download audio books for the children:

“…Audible Inc. on Monday launched a Web site where families can choose from over 3,500 children’s listenable books that can be purchased and downloaded.”

link: Audiblekids.com launches a new Web site for children’s books

It seems the time reading and interacting with a child can be replaced with purchased downloads. There may be a market for such a service. However, it seems that it replaces precious time with the child. The interaction is important. Seeing the child develop, being part of that and offering parental input are significant. It seems that this is somewhat disingenuous to tout the service as helping “to develop critical literacy skills”. Where is the data to support that contention?

It seems that the critical factor is ‘people’ - and not purchased downloads.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster