I’ve always been a bit baffled as to why audio is such an underused resource in schools. It’s not unusual, even where there are interactive whiteboards in a classroom and a PC close by, to see either no speakers at all, or a tiny pair sitting in isolation either side of the board, overwhelmed by the space in front of them. I’ve wondered if it has anything to do with the fact that most children’s audio skills are undermined by the chaotic lack of meaning and substance to be found in most music radio stations, or maybe it’s an unconscious reaction to the failure of the language labs of the sixties.

This new online service from Silksoundbooks is something I know I would want to use if I was teaching. A whole bunch of classic texts, read by skilful professionals and available to download as MP3 files, is a wonderful way to add interest to the study of a complete text which is a requirement of good GCSE or A level English literature teaching. I used to use some short stories by Garrison Keillor which I had on tape a few years ago, and kids used to love listening to them, I think partly because he read them himself and he has a superb delivery, although they were great stories in their own right.