Good Writers Read Out Loud

We have all heard of book signings where authors read excerpts of their books. And who hasn’t happened by an open mic poetry reading at niche coffee shop? We even buy books on tape. So why don’t we encourage our students to read their own written work out loud?

Reading out loud is an excellent tool for students to learn about the flow and pacing of good writing. If reading a sentence makes him feel tongue tied or rushes by so fast that he runs out of breath, chances are that the sentence needs revision.

Good writers use their ear to HEAR mistakes even when their fine tuned brain compensates for errors that they SEE on a page.
An added bonus of learning to read out loud properly is a big boost in selfconfidence. Public speaking skills are sorely lacking in many students partly because they don’t have the opportunity to practice and get good feedback along the way.

So the next time your child hands you a draft to read, hand it right back and say, ”Let’s hear it!”
Tuesday