Six weeks off school. No spelling tests. No reading logs. No teacher reminding your child to finish that chapter.
It’s bliss for them. But for many parents, summer brings a familiar worry. Will all that hard-earned reading progress slip away?
Will my child lose reading skills over summer?
It’s a fair worry to have. One UK study looked at primary school children over a seven-week summer break. Reading and spelling progress stalled during that time, especially for children from lower income households. The good news? The same children caught up again within seven weeks of returning to school. Summer doesn’t have to be a loss. But it does help to keep stories ticking over.
Here’s the good news for parents. Reading doesn’t always mean sitting quietly with a book. Audiobooks are one of the easiest ways to keep children hooked on stories all summer. And when you add a fully illustrated book and a dramatised soundtrack, reading starts to feel like an adventure, not homework.
Do audiobooks count as reading?
Audiobooks get an unfair reputation as the “easy option”. But listening comprehension often runs ahead of reading ability. A child might struggle to sound out every word on a page. That same child can often follow and enjoy a much richer story when it’s read aloud to them.
The research backs this up. The National Literacy Trust has found that among children and young people who listen to audiobooks, three in five say it helps them understand a subject or story better, and a similar proportion say they use their imagination more when listening than when watching a video. Half of listeners also say audiobooks have increased their interest in reading in general, and two in five say the same for writing.
How do audiobooks help children?
- Discover new words and more ambitious stories
- Hear fluent reading with natural expression and pacing
- Build confidence with longer stories
- Grow their imagination and love of stories
Can audiobooks help reluctant readers?
For children who don’t enjoy reading yet, audiobooks can help. They take away the frustration of decoding and bring back the fun of story.
The National Literacy Trust has found that audio is especially powerful for reluctant readers. It also helps children who haven’t connected with print books before.
This matters more than ever. In the Trust’s most recent survey, something notable happened. Children’s enjoyment of listening to audio overtook their enjoyment of reading books, for the first time on record. This happened just as reading enjoyment hit its lowest point since 2019. Audio isn’t replacing reading. For a lot of children right now, it might be exactly what brings them back to it.
What makes Lost on Infinity different from a normal audiobook?
We created Lost on Infinity with BBC Horrible Histories writer Steve Punt. We wanted to make something different to a normal audiobook.
The story has a full cast of actors. It has original songs and cinematic sound effects. It also comes with an illustrated book children can follow along with. Children don’t just listen, and they don’t just read. They get pulled into the adventure, following the pictures while every character comes to life in sound.
Families use it in different ways. Some children just listen. Others read along with the book. Many do a bit of both. There’s no wrong way to enjoy the story. That makes it easy for confident readers, reluctant readers, and children with different learning styles.
Are audiobooks a good screen-free activity for kids?
It isn’t always easy to find things that keep kids entertained without a tablet.
Lost on Infinity gives families another option. Take it on long car journeys. Play a chapter before bed. Curl up in the garden with the book while the soundtrack plays.
It keeps children engaged. At the same time, it quietly builds their vocabulary, comprehension, and reading confidence.
The story is packed with music, humour, memorable characters, and cliffhangers. Many children come back to it again and again. They often spot something new each time they listen.
What’s the best way to enjoy audiobooks with kids this summer?
On holiday. Long drives become part of the adventure when the whole family listens together.
At bedtime. Swap screen time for a chapter of story. The music and character voices do a lot of the “performance” work for a tired parent.
Read along. Follow the illustrated book while the soundtrack plays. This builds fluency naturally, without it ever feeling like schoolwork.
As family time. The music, humour and full cast make it something parents enjoy just as much as their kids. The National Literacy Trust has found that many children value audiobooks as a way to connect with family too.
On screen-free players. Lost on Infinity is also available on Yoto and Voxblock. That makes it perfect for children who want to listen independently, without a phone or tablet.
Is Lost on Infinity a good gift for kids?
Looking for a birthday present or a holiday treat? Lost on Infinity offers more than a book or an audiobook alone.
It’s an immersive story that builds imagination, supports literacy, and gives children a break from screens. Best of all, it’s an adventure many families end up enjoying together.
You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Yoto, Voxblock and Cloudaloud. The illustrated read-along book is available now from RockfordsRockOpera.com.
Discover more through our ecological adventure stories
Lost on Infinity is a musical adventure story that introduces children to extinction, biodiversity and biomimicry through storytelling and original songs.
Get the Lost on Infinity illustrated book with free musical audiobook – a totally immersive experience.
Listen to the first part of the Lost on Infinity audiobook and watch the animated adventure FREE on Apple App Store and Google Play.
Download our FREE lesson plans and slides about Extinction and Biomimicry. We also have a selection of FREE classroom activities on our website.
For even more exploration of the natural world, tune in to our Stories, Science & Secrets podcast for kids. Join Matthew, Elaine, Steve Punt and special guests, as we delve into the fascinating world of biomimicry and the inspiring ways science learns from nature’s genius.
Every creature has a secret, and every life is precious.
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About the creators:
Steve Punt is a writer and broadcaster, known for his work across BBC radio and television, and co-creator of Rockford’s Rock Opera.
Matthew Sweetapple is a writer and producer of Rockford’s Rock Opera, focusing on adventure-led environmental narratives.
Elaine Sweetapple is an illustrator and co-creator of Rockford’s Rock Opera, writing about nature, biomimicry, and storytelling.
Rockford’s Rock Opera adventures are written by professional writers, illustrated by artists, and recorded by real musicians, actors and producers. Crafted by humans, the hard way 🎶😊💚
Sources: National Literacy Trust, “Audiobooks and Literacy” (2020) and “The Role of Audiobooks to Engage Reluctant Readers and Underrepresented Children and Young People” (2021); National Literacy Trust, “Children and Young People’s Listening in 2024”; summer learning loss data drawn from a UK primary schools study on holiday club provision.