19 Jan See Spot Run
A few weeks ago, we wrote about Max, the wonder kid who at 8 yrs old was lecturing on bioluminescent dinoflagellates. Sadly, Max is an anomaly. The U.S. ranks 36th in literacy and even more alarming is that 54% of our population reads below a 6th grade level! Young males especially struggle in this area, lacking motivation and role models. But Max’s mother let us know that his thinking and speaking skills come from his time listening to podcasts. Not only does Max read, but he is being read to.
Then we saw an article in the NY Times about what can be gained by reading aloud and being read to. Listeners have to focus their attention, tune into the rhythms of language, as well as the patterns and meanings of words. In addition, readers shape their expressive tools as they interpret nuances of the sentences. In fact, in the early 19th century, literate families read to each other as a matter of course. Their writing displayed this fluency, as did their manner of speech.
Read aloud, whether you have an audience or not. And always rehearse your presentations aloud, to refine the language and delivery. Make your fluency a thing that others desire to hear.
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