Learning by H.E.A.R.T. Challenge: Reading Out Loud

President Barack Obama gives speech at Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" march on March 7, 2015

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It's really convenient that "reading my notes out loud" is a challenge because I actually tried to read some of my readings out loud after an experience that I had earlier this week. I had to read a disclaimer out loud to some students that I was interviewing for the Integrity Council and it reminded me how I terrible I was at reading out loud. I am just naturally very clumsy when it comes to speaking so it is very hard for me to pronounce the words I want when mindlessly reading something. 

I like to read things out loud sometimes when I am alone and I am having trouble processing a sentence and I just need to hear it so fully understand what I am reading. I also think reading out loud is something that I want to do more because of the advantage of being able to practice my public speech, as this is a skill that I need to work on. A disadvantage to reading out loud is that you sometimes have to put more focus into producing speech rather than absorbing and processing what you are reading. Another disadvantage is that I read faster than I speak so my brain gets frustrated that I have to physically say the word before I can move on and finish the sentence.

I personally will not continue the read-out-loud method because a lot of my reading at this point of the semester is skimming research articles to find data that I need for my end-of-the-year research papers. I will read things out loud when I am reading something that is very densely packed with information and I want to absorb every bit. I am also going to start practicing speaking publicly from a written speech as this is a skill that I should strengthen if I want to be a lawyer.