It is known that continuing to read as we age can help to prevent cognitive decline; but a growing body of evidence suggests that the way that we read can have a significant impact on the benefits, especially for older adults.  Reading aloud, rather than reading silently or listening to someone read to you, can be a very effective way to exercise and strengthen memory pathways in the brain.

A distinctive memory advantage
When we read we are using visual pathways in our brain to form memory links. Relying only on visual memory may leave us with some gaps.  If we read aloud, however, we are also engaging our motor system by speaking the words out loud, and forming auditory links in our memory by hearing the words that we read. In addition, the fact that you produce the words (you say them) means those words are encoded as unique experiences, forming additional memory pathways. This is called self-reference.

In the brain, motor control, hearing and self-reference activate the hippocampus (a brain region associated with episodic memory) which becomes more active while reading aloud compared with reading silently. This memory advantage of saying words aloud over simply reading them silently is a phenomenon researchers call the production effect. It can work even if the reader has speech difficulties and cannot fully articulate the words read aloud.

An opportunity to “ham it up”
While we might sit still reading silently, we are more apt to incorporate body movements when reading aloud.  Facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body movement animates the delivery in a read aloud and enhances the message and meaning of the words.  What’s more, this show of expression can help to strengthen social and emotional bonds between read-aloud partners.

A way to read more
As we age, our silent reading habits change from reading lengthy material (novels, for example) to reading article-length material. The memory challenge of keeping the thread of a story from chapter to chapter can dampen our interests and cause us to give up before finishing a book.  If we want to continue reading as much as possible for cognitive health, reading aloud can help. Here are suggestions for everyone, regardless of age:

Read aloud with a read-aloud partner. Your read-aloud partner can be your spouse or other member of the family (even a grandchild), a friend with a common reading interest or a reading group or book club of friends or peers who take turns reading aloud.

Read recipes or any brief written directions aloud, step by step.

Write prayers or blessings on cards  to be read aloud before meals.

Turn the TV off!  Entertain others with stories and messages read aloud.

So, keep reading aloud! It’s fun, inexpensive and an effective intervention for cognitive health.