For teens, language comprehension, and building fluency in their reading and speaking skills, is a crucial part of building their confidence.
Not only does reading out loud help with their development, but also with their imagination and overall reading and writing skills.
And while reading out loud is often done between adults and younger children, it should be encouraged amongst teenagers, too.
According to Fundza Literacy Trust, a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to improving literacy among teens and young adults, when teenagers read out loud, it benefits them as much as it benefits younger children.
Therefore, parents and guardians are encouraged to create a space in which their teenage children feel safe to read out loud, make it comfortable and welcoming. Often times teenagers will not want to read out loud in front of the whole class but would rather split into smaller groups to read.
Some feel more comfortable to read out loud in private. Whichever way they do it, it should be something that becomes a habit over time.
Here are three benefits of teens reading out loud plus some useful digital tools for your reading aloud pleasure:
It builds imaginative prowess
When teenagers read aloud, they often encounter unfamiliar words they must learn the meaning of. This is great for the creative side of their brains as it means they must imagine the meaning of words and what they describe, unlike just seeing them on paper or screens.
Reading out loud creates room to imagine the scenario as they’re listening to a story.
In addition, according to a ‘’literalure lust’’ report, reading out loud also improves the memory: ‘’The very act of forming words and saying them out loud increases your ability to remember them. Research has proven that the “production effect” — what happens when you physically say the words, improves memory.’’
It bolsters comprehension and active listening skills
When teens are listening to words out loud – whether it be in the classroom setting or at home – their brain focuses on the sounds the words make and their meanings. While this is happening, there is a cognitive exercise that happens in the brain that helps improve comprehension and listening skills.
It builds confidence and strengthens fluency
Confidence at any age is necessary, as learners deal with oral and reading comprehension during their schooling career. If teens are unsure of how to pronounce certain words and they are not confident readers, reading out loud to themselves can go a long way to improving this.
Reading fluently means being able to read without much effort, at a good pace and with effective accuracy, and with appropriate rhythm and expression. People with excellent reading skills have a better chance of becoming great communicators.
Executive Director and Trustee of the Fundza Literacy Trust Lea-Anne Moses concludes: “Reading aloud offers many and great benefits for children of all ages. This is a sure way to achieving exceptional language development, building thinking and comprehension skills, developing reading and writing sharpness, refining good listening skills, and, ultimately, bettering your children’s literacy skills – helping them to become great adults.”
