Reading aloud boosts memory

According to a new study published in the journal Memory, we are more likely to remember something if we read it out loud. Authors of the study from the University of Waterloo in Canada, report that the “dual action” of speaking and hearing yourself speak helps the brain to store the information so that it becomes long-term memory. ... This process is called the “production effect.”

This is because verbally pronouncing a word creates a memorable experience. The active cognitive process of encoding the word into speech also helps to encode it into long-term memory. When it comes to words heard through recordings, students are better able to remember those recorded in their own voice than those pronounced by someone else. According to the authors, this suggests that hearing one’s own voice provides a distinct stimulus of self-recognition, which also helps make the content memorable.

The Canadian study reported that repeating the words to another person resulted in the highest verbal memory recall. By contrast, reading silently produced the lowest verbal memory recall. The study confirmed that learning and memory benefit from active involvement. By engaging our motor system and self-recognition, speaking words aloud encodes them as unique experiences by forming additional memory pathways. This is also consistent with research showing that exercise and movement can promote cognitive performance in children and adults alike by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Reading Out Loud:

• Sharpens Your Focus
• Increases Your Vocabulary
• Results in Greater Reading Comprehension
• Gives you an Opportunity to Play
• Exercises Your Body
• Challenges Your Use of Intonation
• Improves Listening and Reading Skills

So there you have it, ‘Read Aloud’ to your husband or wife, to your baby and children, to your mom and dad, grandparents, and friends. It is also wonderful for improving relationships. READ ALOUD to yourself. Even read out loud to your dog!

References:

Reading information aloud to yourself improves memory of materials​

Reading Aloud Boosts Memory

This time it’s personal: the memory benefit of hearing oneself

Repeating words aloud to another person increases memory recall

I said, you said: The production effect gets personal

The production effect: Delineation of a phenomenon