Podcasting for Children with 2Cast

Podcasting is an increasingly popular type of media that children are familiar with and actively listening to. A poll by the National Literacy Trust found that 42% of 8-18 years olds enjoyed listening to audio in their free time, compared with 34% of children who enjoy reading in their free time. There are dedicated children's podcast charts, and they can be an excellent way to promote reading. Why not then encourage children to create their own podcasts with 2Cast?

Podcasting can:

• Improve planning and writing skills
• Develop teamwork
• Build confidence
• Develop oracy
• Encourage creativity
• Develop digital literacy

What is 2Cast?

2Cast is an exciting child-friendly podcasting tool that enables users to record audio and layer multiple audio tracks. It is accessible on laptops and tablets, through both the Purple Mash website and Purple Mash Browser App. Produced podcasts can be exported quickly as WEBM files and also shared within Purple Mash.

With 2Cast, children can easily record their own audio straight from their computer or device. Sound effects and background music can be added within the tool, thanks to the selection of pre-made effects in 2Cast.

Podcasting in the classroom

Why use podcasting in your lessons?

Podcasting is a great way to engage children in a topic, with lots of cross-curricular application. Within the podcasting process, a whole range of skills are developed:

1. Planning the podcast use mind-mapping and storyboarding techniques, as well as encourages collaboration
2. Researching the subject matter develops research and note-taking skills
3. Writing the podcast script develops writing skills and knowledge of playscripts
4. Rehearsing the script builds reading fluency and oracy skills
5. Recording and editing the script teaches computing and digital literacy

Ideas for school podcasts and curriculum links

English

• Little News Anchors
  Children present news relevant to their school or community, or topics they find interesting
• Storyteller's Corner
  Children write and perform their own short stories or fairy tales
• Book Reviews and Recommendations
  Children share new book releases, what they've been reading and what they recommend

Geography & History

• Junior Explorers
  Children research and share information about places, animals, or cultures they're curious about
• Time Travellers
  Children 'travel' to different points in history and talk about what life was like
• Local Travel Guides
  Children share their favourite local spots, with reviews and top tips

Science

• Nature Detectives
  Explore the natural world with topics about plants, animals, or weather
• Science Explainers
  Conduct and explain science investigations that listeners can do at home

Maths

• Maths in my Job
  Children interview adults who explain how they use maths in their job
• Beat the Teacher
  Maths game show where students go up against a teacher with maths problems
• Times Tables Tune In
  Practise times tables to the tune of popular songs

Podcasting at home

If, as parents, you are looking for creative activities for your children to get stuck into, then podcasting is perfect! It builds confidence and communication skills, builds independence, and develops planning and organisational skills. It also gives children something productive and creative to do with their screentime.

If your child's school has a Purple Mash subscription, they will also have access at home. If not, there is a home user subscription available at a very reasonable cost.

Easy podcast ideas for home

• Bedtime story podcast
  Encourage your child to read aloud to you by turning it into a podcast that you can share with other family members
• Hobby spotlight
  Explore their hobby in more depth - favourite footballers, best ballets, inspiring artworks - it could even inspire them to read more non-fiction books
• Cooking with Kids
  Share step-by-step recipes and taste-test reactions straight from the kitchen

Frequently Asked Questions about Children's Podcasting

What age can children start podcasting?

Children in EYFS and KS1 could start podcasting with the support of an adult. Simple podcasts could be created where the child is retelling a well-known tale, talking about what they did at the weekend, or sharing about their favourite toy or game to play. At this stage, it's all about developing their confidence and speaking skills, and can be short episodes (1-2 minutes is fine).

Do children need special equipment for podcasting?

To use 2Cast, children just need access to Purple Mash and a laptop or tablet. In louder environments (e.g. busy classrooms), you may want to use over-ear headphones with a microphone attachment to lessen background noise.

Is podcasting safe for children?

Using 2Cast is very safe, as the tool itself is within in the Purple Mash platform, where schools and children have their own logins. Children can record their podast without sharing it. They can share their podcast within Purple Mash or download it as a file to share externally. Children should be reminded not to include any personal information in their podcast, including within the saved file name.