When I learn my lines for a show or a program, speaking those lines back to myself is a critical part of getting them right. The auditory feedback does a few things for me:
- Check for fluency
- Check for pronunciation
- Check for tone and pace i.e delivery
So when my friend, Jessie Blakely, suggested that I record the kids reading aloud and playing back the recordings to them, I wondered why I had not thought of it before!
Jessie had the perfect analogy – kids love listening to their own voices for the same reason that babies love looking at their own reflection in the mirror: Self discovery.
So make full use of that cell phone, and start recording!
Benefits of reading aloud and recording
- Listening to their own recording gives them a chance to self-evaluate. With your guidance, they can identify areas for improvement or keep doing what they are doing well.
- Practice makes perfect. Or fake it till you make it! Repeated recordings allow you to compare, and see how the child has made progress.
- Strengthen comprehension – reading aloud forces them to slow down.
- Helps to focus on what they are reading. They are simply more self aware when they know they are being taped!
- The little ones love fiddling with buttons – this should hold their attention for 5 to 10 minutes.
Top tips for reading aloud and recording
- Encourage your child to read as expressively as possible. That is, with changes in tone, volume etc to convey appropriate emotions.
- If your child is not able to read independently yet, encourage him to read aloud after you (I simply move the recorder closer to her mouth when it is her turn to read).
- For very young children, you can say single words like 黄色 (yellow) and get your child to repeat after you. Start with words the child is interested in.
- Reading material should be age appropriate.
- Keep the passage short – or as long as you can keep his attention.
- Try not to interrupt too often. It can be very discouraging (even annoying) if he cannot get through the passage without you pointing out his mistakes.
Do you have other tips? Click HERE to share!
– by Diana Ser