Everyone indulges in silent reading. It’s easy to grab your favourite book and snuggle up in bed to read. But, what happens when your professor in your class asks you to read out loud in the class? 

Believe it or not, loud reading is an underrated talent and skill. There are a plethora of benefits of loud reading word by word, not just among kids but also among adults of any age. Therefore, to revive the habit of loud reading in class and also at your home, this article has enumerated some of the essential benefits of reading books out loud. But before we begin listing them, let’s take a look into why people are not so indulged in loud reading. 

Why Did People Stop Practicing Loud Reading?

Except for a classroom arena, you won’t expect any other place where people read texts or books out loud. Teachers ask their students to do so because it facilitates the students’ vocabulary development, boosts confidence by eliminating stage fear and improves their speech. However, with the advancement of age, due to this fear, many cease to read words out loud. 

You may not believe this, but words were not originally written to be read, but they were written to be heard. Since the beginning of writing, people have enacted tragedies, histories, etc. where words are heard and emotions are felt through them. Imagine those town criers before the development of books who went out on the streets to spread the word of God. 

But, today we see a completely different scenario where, unfortunately, a majority of people are reading books silently. Below mentioned are four important reasons to begin reading texts out loud again. 

Why People Should Love Loud Reading?

Here are the reasons that people love loud reading:

1. Loud reading facilitates better understanding

Sometimes, when things seem too intricate to understand, we read them slowly, out loud to get a hang of it. The reason is that when you hear the words aurally, you start to understand them better and it stays in your mind for a longer period. 

As mentioned earlier, words are not written to be read-only. They are also written to be heard and understood. When you read words out loud, you’re eliminating the external barriers and putting all your focus into what’s written. This sharpens your understanding abilities and helps you get a better idea of the meaning of the text. 

2. Sharpens your memory

As mentioned earlier, when you read the words out loud, the meaning is imprinted effectively and in a better way than silent reading. According to research, when you physically read out the words, your memory is honed. For instance, when you sing songs loudly, you are more likely to remember the lyrics than you were able to do when you were listening. The same thing can be applied to nursery rhymes as well. 

Even if you don’t read the words out loud, just mouth them or whisper them, the magic of memory will don on you. This implies that any sort of physical movement associated with your facial muscles will enhance and sharpen your memory. Believe it or not, research has confirmed that people with dementia experience reduced symptoms after loud reading sessions. Quite interesting, don’t you think?

3. It’s fun

What’s the fun in just silently reading your book, snuggling in a blanket on a rainy day? Okay, it’s a bit fun, but reading them out loud is more fun and entertaining. Imagine you’re sitting with a group of friends and one of them reads funny quotes, memes or weird statements on the news. Just how much fun is that!

That is why audiobooks are gaining a lot of traction these days because people are switching to this mode to enhance their experience and gain a better understanding. One of the reasons why audiobooks are so much in trend now is because they have impeccable narrators who try to offer the exact feeling the author is trying to convey through words, through their diction, accent, pitch and tone. 

In addition, the next time you read out loud, just do it to hear yourself. As you’re just in its initial phase, don’t read for understanding the text, but do it to know how you read. You’ll see that once you get in the groove, you get a better understanding of the speech, the rhythm of words and how to frame it according to the mood of the text. 

Believe it or not, the spoken word is equally beautiful to what’s written with a pen. When you speak, it’s harder to lose your concentration and focus than silent reading. So, why not give it a shot right now? Read this entire article aloud and you’ll know just how entertaining and beautiful it is! Go ahead, come on, don’t be shy. 

4. Builds and improves social connections

Experts believe that reading out loud to your kids is an integral way of forming deep bonds with them. Apart from making them understand the nitty-gritty of the alphabets or make sense of the uncountable words written on a page, reading out loud is a way of getting physically and emotionally close to your loved ones. 

It’s one way to share your thoughts and get engaged in the story together. This helps in forming a shared opinion about a concept or even discussing the difference of opinion. Remember those ghost stories over a campfire or a night out with your friends. Everyone used to sit still and listen to the one person who was talking. This creates a sense of togetherness, unity, belonging, which is implausible in a library where everyone is silently reading. 

Remember the scene in Dead Poet’s Society where the group of boys shared their stories and poems in a small cave? Yes, that’s exactly what’s been talked about here. 

When someone is speaking to you and narrating a story, you feel important. Their attention to you, makes you feel noticed in their lives and this feeling is needed to spark a relationship. 

These are some of the noticeable benefits of loud reading which can be inculcated with practice. So, go ahead, read some favourite passages from your favourite to your loved ones and see how deeper the relationship becomes.