Here’s Why You Should Start a Read-Aloud Group

In addition to offering a good time, reading out loud can build skills like public speaking and discourse. (Ben White/Unsplash)

Once upon a time, people rarely read silently. In fact, reading silently was so unusual in the fourth century, that in his Confessions, St. Augustine felt prompted to offer a surprised comment on St. Ambrose’s uncommon habit of reading alone and in silence:

“But while reading, his eyes glanced over the pages, and his heart searched out the sense, but his voice and tongue were silent. Ofttimes, when we had come (for no one was forbidden to enter, nor was it his custom that the arrival of those who came should be announced to him), we saw him thus reading to himself, and never otherwise.”

The practice of reading silently wasn’t common until the late 1700s. In the early modern period, reading out loud was the norm, especially for the lower classes. Historian Robert Darnton writes, “For the common people in early modern Europe, reading was a social activity. It took place in workshops, barns, and taverns. It was almost always oral.” Mr. Darnton goes on to describe the practice in France and Germany of fireside gatherings where children played, women sewed, and men repaired tools while one member of the company read aloud.

Today, adults reading out loud together is a rare occurrence, yet this was, for centuries, the normal way to experience a text. It remains a remarkably rewarding endeavor for those willing to give it a try.

Why Not Just Watch TV?

As philosophy professor John Cuddeback explains, we need rich and authentic activities to be truly present with others and build human connection. He considers reading aloud in a small group to be a rich activity, and he contrasts it with shallower activity like watching TV or videos. Mr. Cuddeback notes that when we read aloud together, we face, look at, and listen to one another. Yet, when we watch TV, we all stare away from each other at a screen in a dark room.

This physical orientation reflects what’s happening psychologically, too: in the first scenario, we build connections with one another as we actively participate in our leisure activity, while in the second scenario we passively consume prepackaged “entertainment” in isolation. We don’t look at each other or share the same depth of togetherness.

Reading aloud sparks the human capacity for rationality in a social way. “Thinking together is the richest way of being together as humans,” Mr. Cuddeback reflects. Thinking, in this context, includes any deep engagement with our rationality, such as following an essayist’s train of thought or a novel’s story. Moreover, he points out that reading together flows naturally and effortlessly into discussing together, a powerful form of “thinking together.”

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Mr. Cuddeback says, “we’ve lost a lot of the customs and ... common practices of how to be together rationally.” This is a tragedy because few actions are more rewarding than delighting with others in a beautiful piece of captivating writing, then sharing insights through deep conversation.

My wife and I recently began a biweekly “poetry night” with another couple. At each session, we bring an essay, short story, or poem to read out loud. The process has completely removed the difficulty of knowing what to talk about: conversation, ignited by the text, roars to life naturally—and it’s conversation about things that matter, not just mere small talk.

These discussions have been some of the most thought-provoking I’ve had in a while, and they’ve deepened our friendship. Mr. Cuddeback concurs: “Some of the most rich experiences of my life were reading together with the people that I love.”

How to Get Started

You can start a read-aloud group easily enough. Simply find an essay, poem, news article, or short story that can be read in an hour or less (keep it on the shorter end for the first session), and then invite friends or family members for informal reading and discussion. I recommend preparing drinks and snacks to add to the festive atmosphere.

Choosing a Text

Of course, some works lend themselves better to read-alouds and discussions than others. I’ve already mentioned the importance of considering length. Most people—especially if they aren’t use to a read-aloud group—will not want to sit through a three-hour short story. But even more important is the quality of the piece chosen.

Go for the classics. There’s a reason they’ve been read, and reread, puzzled over and delighted in for generations. Here is a short list of ideas to get you started:

• Poems by William Shakespeare, John Donne, John Keats, Alfred Tennyson, William Wordsworth, George Gordon Byron, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot
• Essays and short stories by G.K. Chesterton, Edgar Allen Poe, Wendell Berry, Flannery O’Connor, C.S. Lewis
• Recommended individual works: “Apology” by Plato, “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle, “Leaf by Niggle” by J.R.R. Tolkien, chapters from “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard
• Key passages or chapters from other full-length works.
• If you have a dedicated group meeting regularly, you might consider reading a full-length work in sections.

Reading Well

Reading out loud well is an art, not unlike acting, and it takes practice. Prioritize clarity, first of all. This means enunciating, speaking loudly enough, and setting an appropriate pace. In addition, try to read with variation in your tone, pace, and volume. Variation gives the reading life and keeps listeners listening. Include pauses at key moments. Let the words have space when they need them. Above all, try to enter into the spirit of the work and read with  drama and emphasis.

The best way to improve the skill of reading aloud is to listen to masters and imitate them. Audiobooks will allow you to hear how the professionals do it. Of course, don’t overburden yourself with these considerations. These are your friends—you aren’t teaching a class or performing for an audience. In the end, you’ve just got to be yourself and let the words sing.

Launching Discussion

There’s value in reading great works of literature even if you don’t discuss them afterwards. But, it’s likely that your group will have plenty of thoughts and emotions to express after reading, and this will glide smoothly and organically into discussion of the work. You might consider prepare a few discussion questions ahead of time to launch the discussion. Be genuine with the questions, emphasizing ones that you can’t answer and ones you’re curious to hear others’ perspectives on.

Preparing one or two opening comments to get the conversation airborne isn’t a bad idea either, though you can wait a bit after the reading finishes to see if someone else has a comment to start things off. Cuddeback says, “Never be afraid of silence.”

Allow pauses for people to think about what they want to say. It can be tempting, if you’re trying to lead discussion, to want to fill every millisecond of empty air, but that’s not necessary, and the pauses will feel longer to you than to everyone else.

Most importantly, allow things to develop organically as much as possible. Don’t be too structured. If you’ve selected a great text, the conversation will only need a little push and you’ll be amazed where it leads. Read-aloud circles offer you and your loved ones the opportunity to encounter great ideas and discover how they connect to your own life. Best of all, you’ll be exploring these ideas with people you care about. The pursuit of truth and beauty is one of the best adventures you can share.