How Can Podcasts Support Family Learning? Findings from a New Report

Podcasts have quickly become a staple in many households—in fact, the number of Americans who tune in to the format has substantially increased over the past decade.

As podcasts grow in popularity among adults, a new wave of audio content is also being developed for children—but how effective is it at supporting learning?

EDC researchers recently investigated this question in an exploratory study of children’s podcasts, conducted as part of the Ready To Learn Initiative—a partnership between the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

The study, Listen to This! Children’s Podcasts, Family Engagement, and Opportunities for Learning, surveyed how families from low-income households consumed podcasts, and found that these podcasts not only captivate young listeners but also foster meaningful family interactions—supporting intergenerational learning experiences.

“Podcasts seem to offer a unique medium for families to listen, learn, and explore together,” says Amanda Cardarelli, an EDC senior researcher who led the study. “Based on the results of our study, this type of audio programming provides not just entertainment, but also opportunities for dialogue and shared discovery.”

Key findings from the report include:

• Podcasts fit easily into family routines. Families integrated podcast listening into daily activities, such as commutes, meal prep, or bedtime, offering a flexible, screen-free way to support learning.
• Low-income households are highly engaged. Nearly all participating families across low-income households found the podcasts engaging for their children. This finding follows prior studies focused on relatively affluent families.
• Podcast design matters. Elements such as interactive prompts, relatable characters, and compelling narratives helped sustain child and parent engagement.
• Family engagement was common. Parents and children frequently engaged in conversations and follow-on activities sparked by the podcasts, extending the learning beyond listening.

“Parents told us that podcasts sparked their children’s imagination and helped them focus and engage deeply with storytelling,” says Naomi Hupert, director of EDC’s Center for Children and Technology. “Our study shows that valuable digital learning can also happen without a screen.”

For almost 20 years, EDC has led efficacy studies of free Ready To Learn-supported educational resources from public media that help teachers, caregivers, and parents build early science, math, literacy, and career readiness skills for America’s children.

Prior studies conducted by EDC researchers found that digital media resources, such as programs from PBS KIDS, improve young children’s learning in literacy, including informational text, as well as in mathematics and science. Multiple studies have found that digital media can help families boost children’s learning.

Learn more about EDC’s Ready To Learn research and find the full podcast study here: https://cct.edc.org/rtl