Audiobooks in our Read-A-Thon

They're a contentious issue during the Read-A-Thon.  They can be just as good for you as something you read with your eyes, but that's only if you're paying attention to the audiobook.  

In the past, we allowed all forms of audiobook use in the event.  That caused people to feel like reading was a disadvantage for the competition, and discouraged them from participating.  It even encouraged people to make sure they always had an audiobook playing while they were awake.

The goal of this event is to encourage reading, which will expose you to stories, build vocabulary, and improve reading/listening comprehension.  That's what your sponsors expect you'll be doing when they're considering how you're being motivated to read by their financial support of your Read-A-Thon.

Some Read-A-Thons count audiobook minutes at a low rate, like 2 audiobook minutes equal 1 reading minute.  Some have separate reward categories for audiobooks, but we don't (yet?).  We don't want to diminish participation with audiobooks, so hopefully it's helpful to have a few clarifications of when it's okay to use audiobooks to log reading minutes, and when it's not.