For many adults and children, reading is challenging. Many WANT to love to read but they find it difficult for a variety of reasons.
It is quite common for children in particular to discover that reading aloud is helpful, so they just do it, but parents struggle to understand why their child is reading aloud, particularly since it is often seen/understood to be something that "little kids" do when they are learning to read.
Reading aloud results in what is called a "production effect," which just means that by reading aloud, the reader's memory of what they have read is significantly improved, compared to them reading silently. The reader can experience improved memory even if they just mouth or whisper the words, however, this is not as effective as actually speaking them.
It also works if someone else reads it to the person, although it is not as advantageous as reading it aloud themselves. This effect works for people of all ages, but particularly children and older adults.
Studies have found production advantages in handwriting, typing, and spelling but ultimately - speaking the text is usually the best way to remember something, however, it may be possible that singing the words is even better!
With typing, even imaginging typing the word helps with memory, compared to just looking at it on a page. Actually typing the word is the best option with this method, but again - saying or singing it aloud is the best way to actually remember it.
The production effect has been studied more than once and it has been noted that the increased ability to remember the words spoken remains increased even after a week.
In one study, participants read some paragraphs aloud and others silently and when tested, they were more accurate with the paragraphs they read aloud.
So ... there is a reason why your child (or even you) may prefer to read aloud and they may not even know why they prefer it, they have just figured out that it works better for them - which is amazing, that is exactly what we want our kids doing!
Everyone learns differently and there is nothing at all wrong with your child if they are utilizing the production effect, in fact ... children should be learning various ways to learn so they can work out what works best for them.
An additional note ... it is quite likely that those children who have conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning difficulties would much prefer utilizing the production effect. An added bonus is that it keeps them focused on what they are reading, their eyes cannot skip words on them because they are reading them aloud!
Go ahead, try it! It may seem weird at first but maybe it will help you remember more as well! Perhaps even start with your grocery list!
This is not medical advice, always ask a chiropractor if chiropractic care is appropriate for you, and your preferred healthcare provider before making dietary, supplement, or lifestyle changes
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