CHILDREN'S -PODCASTS- *CHAPTERS : ESSAY

Podcasts with children in mind have begun their beautiful charms. New programs abound for ages 6 to 10, but parents, too, can join the super fun.

As schools shut down and children themselves with endless hours of downtime during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, parents were desperate for screen-free forms of entertainment.

The result was an explosion of new listeners, and new shows.

The main appeal of podcasts for children is the same as for adults - they're fun and interesting to listen to. But according to Monica Brady Myerov, the founder and chief executive of Listenwise, an educational website that helps students build listening skills, there may also be a hidden educational benefit.

''You're hearing all these great words and stories and sentences,'' she said. ''Whether kids know it or not, when they're listening to a podcast they're getting those critical listening skills.''

And listening comprehension, in turn, has been shown to be a critical factor for children who are learning to read. So, as children age, though, they may be ready to try something different. Here's where to start :

FICTION SERIES 

.-  ''The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian'' : The makers of this podcast describe it as a ''mystery gang'' story ''like 'Scooby-Doo' meets 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer in space.'' There are nearly 200 episodes of space adventure.

.-  ''Eleanor Amplified'' - Evil villains are no match for intrepid radio reporter, Eleanor Amplified. Two-hour long ''road trip'' versions of each session make for handy long-haul listening.

.-  ''Six Minutes'' - This drama gets its name from its episode length. An 11 year-old girl has been pulled out of icy waters off the coast of Alaska, and episodes reveal how she got there.

.-  ''The Super Secret Hive'' - a case of quirky characters embarks on a series of missions to save the world from environmental crises, mental health issues and more. It's like a Disney musical in a podcast form.

.-  ''The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel - A Peabody winning series about students who keep disappearing from the H.G.Wells Middle School. It is recommended for the older end of the 8 to 12 range.

.-  ''The Podcast Has Fleas'' - If you want more celebrities playing animal characters, this WNYC Studios series has Jay Pharoah between as a cat and Alec Baldwin as a fish.

.-  ''Flyest Fables'' - The show's host, Morgan Givens, weaves a tale of struggling child who bounces between real life and the pages of a magical book.

The Publishing continues regularly in the future. The World Students Society thanks author Lindsay Patterson.