https://www.raptitude.com/2024/09/in-favor-of-reading-aloud/ Switch to mobile version Raptitude.com [Search Raptitude ] [Search] Menu * About * Archives * Experiments * Courses * Contact * Best posts In Favor of Reading Aloud Share Tweet Pocket Pin Email { 25 comments } Post image for In Favor of Reading Aloud When I read Jane Eyre, I stalled for a full year between the opening part at the boarding school and the rest of the book. I tend to dislike boarding-school openings in books, but the real problem was I found myself having to reread too many of Charlotte Bronte's winding, multi-clausal, colon-encrusted sentences. Her writing is beautiful, but some sentences contained so many twists and detours that I would often lose the flow of them and have to take a second go. The book was clearly a special one, but whenever I looked at it I got tired at the thought of diving back in. I finally regained traction by reading it aloud. I finished the whole book this way, which made it an unfettered joy. Because each of its complex Victorian sentences had to pass through my mouth, I found it easy to stay with their meaning and structure. The reading was slower, but much smoother, with very little doubling back. It felt like I was finally driving in the appropriate gear for the terrain. The second time I read a whole novel aloud was Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, and it was for a different reason. All of Welsh's books are written in heavy Scottish dialect -- 350 pages of this: "Ah found masel lyin tae her, tae justify Begbie's behaviour. Fuckin horrible. Ah jist couldnae handle her outrage, n the hassle thit went wi it. It wis easy tae lie, as we all did wi Begbie in our circle." There was no way I'd get through this without reading it aloud, and of course it would be absurd to do it in my normal accent, so I read the whole thing in my best Scottish lilt, keeping my voice down so my downstairs neighbor wouldn't think I've lost my mind. As with Jane Eyre, reading this book aloud made it a delight and I finished it quickly. Once again, it felt like I'd found the right gear for traveling efficiently through the text. [muddyrrail-300x201]Reading Trainspotting silently It occurred to me only recently that I should use this gear more often. In fact, it might be the superior way to read most of the time, at least when there's no need be silent or maximize speed. Reading aloud, I feel more immersed in the text, and rarely get distracted. Having to pass every word through your own voice imparts, or reveals, a new dimension to the book. It makes you give physical form, and a definite timing, to the contours of the words within their sentences, and sentences within their paragraphs. You're no longer just decoding and absorbing the story, you're now expressing it. You feel closer to what the author is saying, because now you're saying it for them. I love reading, but I am immensely distractible while I read. Soon after starting, something disconnects in my attention. One part of my mind continues following and subvocalizing the words, while another part has gone off to reconsider something I read earlier. Before I notice, I'm lost, and I have to backtrack a paragraph or two. Unless the book is utterly gripping, my attention keeps sliding off the meaning of the words like this. If you can imagine riding a bicycle whose main gear has no proper teeth to grip the chain, just half-formed bumps, riding that bike is how it feels to read most of the time. Sometimes it catches and pulls me along for a good bit, but sometimes I can stay stuck on the same page for ten or fifteen minutes. [streetsh-SaDYgcd8Wws-unsplash]Reading No Country For Old Men silently In my case this is mostly an ADHD thing, but it has certainly worsened in the smartphone era, and I've heard others make similar complaints. Once-avid readers say they can't finish books anymore. There are countless threads in Reddit's r/books subreddit about this. We're losing our ability to focus, and with so many low-friction competitors for our attention, the relatively effortful pastime of pleasure reading is often one of the first things to go. These days I'm reading aloud whenever I have a chance. For me, most of the time, it's a just better and more reliable gear to be in. It's slower than reading silently, but the ride is always a smooth and enjoyable one, with little backsliding. Obviously I'm not going to do it in a coffee shop, but even in places where I'm semi-audible (such as in a hammock at the park) I can still do it at a whisper. [patrick-robert-doyle-OvXht_wi5Ew-unsplash]Suitable place for reading silently Part of me feels ashamed reading aloud at all though, because I'd always been taught that reading aloud is for children and dum-dums. You read aloud only until you learn to read for real. This idea is a very recent assertion, though. Historically, reading aloud has been much more common. Capable readers used to be rarer, so they frequently had audiences, so reading was commonly thought of as a social, or at least physical, activity. Even scholars often did their reading aloud when they were alone as late as the 19^th century. Eventually, a social shift towards individualism and privacy, the advent of public education systems, and more reader-friendly typesetting practices pushed the trend toward silent reading as the norm. [Contrast_a_child_thats_good_wit]"Good lad! Proper reading means not perturbing me." But those were all pretty recent developments. Before the printing press, most reading was done aloud. Famously, St. Augustine once wrote about a fellow monk's most unusual habit of reading silently: "When Ambrose read, his eyes ran over the columns of writing and his heart searched out the meaning, but his voice and his tongue were at rest. Often when I was present--for he did not close his door to anyone and it was customary to come in unannounced--I have seen him reading silently, never in fact otherwise." Augustine's puzzlement here suggests that at one point, reading was expected to be an embodied, active process, not a passive way of absorbing information. Reading meant saying what the author has said, rather than just observing it. Obviously silent reading is possible and worthwhile, but it isn't a complete substitute for reading aloud. I suspect that in our transition to silent reading, the typical level of reader connection to the text has declined, and has never recovered. Just try reading a good passage aloud, and notice how much more alive the text becomes, how much more impactful the words feel. The commas breathe. Parentheticals stand cleanly aside from their host sentences. Terminal words reverberate. [Monk_sneaking_a_drink-300x296]So ready to read aloud It's great that Ambrose and other pioneers showed us we can read without speech, but I no longer believe that it's simply a better, more sophisticated way of reading. I think it's a more convenient, but generally worse way to take in the text. There are studies demonstrating greater comprehension from reading aloud, which is unsurprising, but it offers something even better than that. When you don't just comprehend, but pronounce the ideas in the text, you put yourself in a better position from which to connect with the author's mind, which is arguably the whole point of reading. You're not only receiving their thoughts, you're running them through your own apparatus of expression. You're trying them on to see how they feel in your body, how they sound in the air. It's good to have access to both gears. I'm just sorry I relied on only one of them for so long. Reading aloud may at first feel weirdly slow and exacting for a content-addled 21st-century person, but perhaps the ability to take in ideas in a slow and exacting way is just what we're missing. *** Share Tweet Pocket Pin Email [Search Raptitude ] [Search] { 25 Comments } [3e829fb] Jolyon September 11, 2024 at 10:49 am Try the Audible version of "Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban. It's the best comparison between written and spoken I can think of, as the post-apocalyptic language of England in the book is well-nigh incomprehensible (at least to me, for a long time) while the spoken version makes it both clearer and more beautiful. Trubba not. ;-) { Reply } [7402870] Sophia September 11, 2024 at 10:50 am Wow, I love this post!! I always read aloud, because without it my attention wanes and I feel disconnected as you describe. And for years now, I've felt shame about it!! I really was fed so much dogma around how reading aloud "slows you down" and is for dumb people, and we should all be maximizing our reading speeds. Well, phooey -- I like reading slowly and really appreciating each word, sentence, and page. I love the way you put it -- the appropriate gear for the text! Thank you! { Reply } [36a9147] Martha September 11, 2024 at 10:51 am Hooray!! I'm not the only person on the planet who does this! It is especially essential, I think, for poetry. I never could read poetry until I started reading it aloud. It will give you a whole new view of Shakespeare. I haven't read an entire play yet, but that might be a goal for this winter. Reading aloud is also an excellent editing tool. I worked with someone years ago who loved to fill his writing with random commas and semicolons. I taught him to read things aloud, which let him feel the rhythm of the sentences and chop out all the unnecessary punctuation (and words). { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 2:34 pm I should have mentioned poetry, yes. I intuitively read it aloud, and there's clearly something missing otherwise. Agreed on the editing. I have read my posts aloud while editing for a few years now. { Reply } [8b5cf89] Addy September 11, 2024 at 10:51 am I've been a lurker for a long time but I would like to comment today. Just two years ago I realised how bad my reading had gotten, and I told myself that this couldn't continue. So in 2023 I set a goal of reading 30 books but I ended up reading 42 books. And this year my goal is to read 40 books and I'm nearly there already, at 31 books so far. One of the ways I managed to read so many books in 2023 was to read aloud. My husband loves to listen to audiobooks, while I prefer to read the text. We decided to embark on a shared reading journey, so we chose an author in our favourite genre (crime/ thriller/ mystery) and we read all 18 books in her series. What we did was I read aloud for him to listen. We started doing that in April last year and we haven't stopped since then! Every night we read at least a chapter or two, or even ten, depending on the schedule of the day, before we sleep at night. We've now gone through 3 different series from 3 different authors (18 books, 9 books, and 8 books respectively), and now we're onto our 4th series by a 4th author! What you've mentioned about the benefits of reading aloud is so true. I can really focus when I'm reading aloud for my husband to listen. Besides reading with him, I do my own reading, and right now, I'm tackling Gone with the Wind. There are some parts of the book with African American Vernacular English (AAVE) that I have to read aloud for me to really understand what the characters are saying. (I'm not American or European but English is my first language, but even then AAVE is something I'm not as familiar with.) Anyway, this article just reinforces for me the wonderful things about reading aloud. I literally just finished reading aloud a chapter of the book with my husband, and after submitting this comment, I'm off to continue reading Gone with the Wind before my bedtime! Thanks for sharing! :) { Reply } [8b5cf89] Addy September 11, 2024 at 10:59 am I forgot to mention in my earlier comment that reading aloud helps me get better with my pronunciation and enunciation! I never really had issues with pronouncing words, but this habit has really helped me improve to become even better. I love looking up the IPA of words (I read ebooks for the most part). I can go on and on about reading aloud and reading in general! { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 3:12 pm Reading to other people is such a wonderful thing. It really does change how you experience the story. Much more immersive. { Reply } [a2080c3] Keena September 11, 2024 at 11:07 am David, this was eye-opening! Thank you! I had bought in to the idea that you need to read quickly & silently - but I continually get distracted with that, too. Sure, I read lots of books, but did I remember anything about them? Not much! A happy medium I have found is to "read aloud in your head". That is, read the words like you are reading it to someone, but in your head. I will do an experiment with myself to see how it compares to hearing yourself speak the words, but in the meantime it does slow my frantic brain down & helps with the flow & cadence of the text. It worked nicely with the Trainspotting excerpt. Cheers! { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 3:15 pm That's so interesting... I really wonder how different the inner experience of reading is between different people. As far as I know, silent reading normally involves subvocalization, which I think is what you mean by "reading aloud in your head" although sometimes I read so fast the inner auditory experience gets blurry and it no longer feels like that's happening. There are people who swear they never think in words, or never think in pictures, or both or neither. We just don't have a way to look inside another person's mind yet, and if we did, I think we'd learn a lot. { Reply } [b37825f] Rob September 11, 2024 at 11:17 am I think you would enjoy The Sot Weed Factor by John Barth. Aloud is the best way to read it. Way back in the 70's (and have revisited it several times since), my roommate and I took turns with text that is transformed by learning to read this manufactured dialect. Uproarious and revealing! { Reply } [0240b56] larry September 11, 2024 at 11:34 am When I was about 2/3 of the way through this post I thought "I am reading this silently" Old habits. I wonder how many other people are doing likewise? I started over with the new old technique. { Reply } [f49b245] Tara September 11, 2024 at 12:00 pm I alternate between silent and out loud reading as sometimes I feel it helps me to read aloud and sometimes it feels distracting. The one thing I always read aloud is a number or word I need to remember because then I can replay the sounds in my head when I'm recalling it. { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 3:19 pm I do that too -- in particular when I'm measuring out cups of flour or water for a recipe. I say the number aloud, because that way it's much easier to remember whether I've put the third cup in yet or it was only two. If I say it aloud, I remember whether I said the word "three" yet. If I just count in my head I might forget. { Reply } [6150370] Janine Lund September 11, 2024 at 12:19 pm I am so Type A that I find reading aloud so slow, but this is a good reminder of the pleasure of the spoken word. Also, I find that in order to learn and remember new vocabulary, I must be able to pronounce the word aloud. There was a word my grandfather used a lot and I knew what it meant, but it was years later that I connected what he said to the printed word: facetious. { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 3:21 pm I always find it charming when somebody pronounces a word incorrectly (e.g. "subtle") because you know that they learned it from reading. { Reply } [aac3423] Roma September 11, 2024 at 1:17 pm What a great service you have done with this one, as with all of your musings. I loved reading aloud to my students. It does improve comprehension and it's fun to "make voices" for characters. I find it improves my understanding of non fiction. Thank you for an historic overview of how we moved away from a very valuable, more focused reading strategy. { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 3:22 pm It is fun. A girlfriend and I once tried to read an Agatha Christie novel to each other, alternating by chapter, with different screechy British voices for each character. In the end we lost track of the voices we'd made up but it was a lot of fun. { Reply } [faf7b7d] Martin September 11, 2024 at 3:36 pm Loved this article. I'm one of the avid readers you mention who seems to have lost his way. Nowadays I reach for my phone to kill time but recently have recognised this and your article has really driven it home. One additional point is that reading aloud forces you to slow down. I took pride before in skim reading books. The average time it took me to read one of the Wheel of Time books was 3-4 days. But I'm certain I missed as much as I read. I now have a son and reading books to him is an absolute joy. But I also realise it is not essential to read kids books to him. Just need to think of Scout curled up in Atticus's lap reading the newspaper together to see the real benefits of reading aloud. { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 5:31 pm Vocalizing the text really does fix your info-intake at a certain rate, which gives the mind time to really take it on board. My mind doesn't have a very strong ability to regulate it otherwise. I tend to start tumbling forward, so quick that I comprehend little and get bored because I miss stuff. { Reply } [dcad5d6] Amy September 11, 2024 at 3:56 pm David, it's always such a joy whenever you write a new post. I'm always excited to see what new thought has captivated you, and this was a great read. I am going to read aloud my next book, and let the words really sink in, instead of racing to finish the book just for the sake of finishing it. { Reply } [7547088] Bernadette September 11, 2024 at 3:59 pm For a while now I've been reading aloud for a partially blind woman. We visit art galleries and museums and I read all the accompanying information aloud to her. We always take ages to get through an exhibition, totally immersed in art and the artist's life and story. The art needs the story and I've often found myself moved to tears, my voice breaking as I read. Very few people seem to take the time to read the story behind the art, judging it in a glimpse and passing on looking for something that is visually captivating to them. I used to be like that. I missed so much. { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 5:35 pm I've noticed a similar thing -- reading aloud makes it more emotionally resonant. I read the end of Jane Eyre to my girlfriend at the time and it was so moving my voice was wavering and I kept having to collect myself. At art galleries I always look at the piece first, then I read the descriptor, then look again, because it's a whole new thing when you know some of the context. I try not to look at very many pieces per visit, and look at each for a long time. { Reply } [626e702] Alexis September 11, 2024 at 4:31 pm This was a wonderful article. I am happy to know that I'm not the only one who has been alarmed at how difficult it is for me to stay focused on what I am reading. Sometimes I scare myself on purpose (why???) after I've read a page or even a paragraph by asking myself what I just read and I can't even summarize it!! My mind is blank. Then I re-read it and realize I do remember reading it, but it must have not sunk into my brain far enough. You are so right about reading out loud making it "sink in" to my brain better. I want to implement reading out loud (but it does feel strange doing it!) Thanks for a great idea and article! { Reply } [298e74d] David Cain September 11, 2024 at 5:38 pm Reading aloud definitely increases the absorption factor. I think the internet has us tuned for quick skimming-mode, and reading aloud is one way to force a different mode. Manual override! { Reply } [084d9f9] Joy September 11, 2024 at 5:36 pm Isn't it funny, as soon as I got to that Trainspotting passage, I automatically started reading it out loud without even thinking about it. You really do have to hear it to understand it. I love reading bedtime stories to my 10-year-old and I really hope she doesn't want me to stop any time soon because we are just starting to get into books that have a bit of philosophical weight to them instead of just basic, predictable kid stories... { Reply } Cancel reply Leave a Comment [ ]Name * [ ]E-mail * [ ]Website [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [Submit] { Somebody Has Already Figured It Out for You } Desktop version * * [goldenself] I'm David, and Raptitude is a blog about getting better at being human -- things we can do to improve our lives today. * Support Raptitude Raptitude remains ad-free thanks to small, voluntary contributions from readers like you. Supporters of Raptitude get access to extra posts, ebooks, and other goodies. Join our Patreon community today! 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September 11, 2024 at 5:38 pmDavid Cain + Isn't it funny, as soon as I got to that Trainspotting passage, I automatically started reading it out loud without even thinking about it. You really do have to hear it to understand it. I love reading bedtime stories to my 10-year-old and I really hope she doesn't want me to... September 11, 2024 at 5:36 pmJoy + I've noticed a similar thing -- reading aloud makes it more emotionally resonant. I read the end of Jane Eyre to my girlfriend at the time and it was so moving my voice was wavering and I kept having to collect myself. At art galleries I always look at the... September 11, 2024 at 5:35 pmDavid Cain + Vocalizing the text really does fix your info-intake at a certain rate, which gives the mind time to really take it on board. My mind doesn't have a very strong ability to regulate it otherwise. I tend to start tumbling forward, so quick that I comprehend little and get bored... September 11, 2024 at 5:31 pmDavid Cain + This was a wonderful article. I am happy to know that I'm not the only one who has been alarmed at how difficult it is for me to stay focused on what I am reading. Sometimes I scare myself on purpose (why???) after I've read a page... September 11, 2024 at 4:31 pmAlexis * Privacy policy and Terms of Service Copyright (c) 2024 Raptitude.com - All Rights Reserved. Designed By rtCamp Raptitude is an independent blog by David Cain. Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I might earn a commission if you buy certain things I link to. In such cases the cost to the visitor remains the same.