Read Aloud to Remember More

Woman reading to her son over a colorful background.jpeg A new Canadian study shows people who read aloud are able to remember more.

This finding has implications both for older people and for students.

According to Medical News Today researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada put 95 people into four groups who:

Read silently
Listened to someone else read
Listened to a recording of themselves reading
Read out loud in real time.

The people in the group which read out loud had the best recall. Those who read silently remembered the least.

Study author Colin M. MacLeod, a professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo said, "When we add an active measure or a production element (reading aloud) to a word it becomes more distinct in long-term memory."

The finding that reading aloud enables better memory is useful for aging people who are determined to keep their memories sharp. In addition to the usual advice to do puzzles and crosswords, and to exercise regularly, they should add reading aloud to their memory regime.

Similarly, students may find they remember more and learn better if they read their important study texts out loud.

And students who use the online reading coach, Reading Assistant, may also build stronger memories, in addition to improving their reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.