Since the middle of last year, I’ve been busy reading the Harry Potter books aloud to my dude, who probably would never have taken the initiative to read them on his own time but has been enjoying the story a lot since we dug in together. I, on the other hand, have a lot of difficulty focusing when people read aloud to me. Which brings us to today’s lunchtime poll.
Do you enjoy being read to? Do you enjoy reading aloud? What was the last you did of either?
17 replies on “Lunchtime Poll: Reading Aloud”
I like to read out loud, but I can’t focus very well when other people read to me. I’m with ya.
I love reading aloud and do it a lot for my little sister when I’m home on vacation. The more on the crazy side the books are the better it is. Half the fun is making up strange voices and accents for all the characters! Although at a certain point I always wish I had written up what voice I picked for each character. When the book is long enough and has a few too many characters it all gets mixed up in the end.
Yeah, I have a few voices in Harry Potter that get blended together. My Mad Eye Moody sounds suspiciously like my Hagrid, just with more pronounced H’s and -ing’s.
I read aloud when I’m doubting one of my written sentences or when I’m alone and reading Harry Potter. And only Harry, really don’t know why.
While we’ve started with Harry, I’m probably going to read A Prayer for Owen Meany to him next. I’m scared/amused/hopeful for my ability to read Owen’s voice.
As long as Meany doesn’t sound like he’s got a beard inside his throat, I think you’ll be fine :)
I like reading kid’s books out loud, but I hate doing it with regular books. It slows me down so much, and I tend to read in chunks instead of scanning each line one word at a time (I don’t really know how to describe it) so I find it really frustrating to have to do it differently. It’s really hard for my brain to process reading aloud for some reason; I start misreading words, stumbling over phrasing. It’s annoying. At least my daughter’s books are short and I tend to have them totally memorized after a couple readings; it’s much easier to recite the books than to read them. I don’t really like being read to because it’s so slow, too.
Sometimes I get a little obnoxious and stop reading out loud to scan ahead, and Mister has to say, “Um, and then…?” I hear you. It goes a little slow.
I like to read aloud if I need to check something (I usually read an essay aloud before sending it anywhere, for example, because I catch weirdness in language that way) and if I am reading in a foreign language (helps me with comprehension). Â Otherwise, I don’t really do it. Â I probably will a lot more with Tiny, although right now she’s just interested in pictures, so we more just narrate what’s going on.
I think I would fall asleep if I were read aloud to, although I like audio books and podcasts.
I don’t generally do podcasts well because they tend to be unplanned/disorganized enough that I can’t always follow where someone’s going. (I was awful in lecture classes, too, in college, so it follows.) Audiobooks are usually okay for me, though.
I read aloud almost every night, though now that MiniB is older we take turns. I enjoy doing voices, and I really enjoy hearing her oral interpretation skills progress (you don’t just learn pronunciation when Mom was a theater major :) ).
Normally, though, I hate being read aloud to. Like you said, I can’t concentrate very well and I get hung up on how I would read it differently. Though, I suppose if Morgan Freeman lived in my house and wanted to read to me it would be a different story.
My exceptions include Freeman, Rickman, and Fry.
I love my Peruvian boyfriend’s accent, and I wanted to record him reading something to me… I picked The Golden Compass, don’t ask me why. He hated it, and couldn’t pronounce half the names. He read for 1/2 an hour in a really bad english accent before I caved in and took over. Then 5 minutes later I glanced over and he was sleeping.
Different book next time?
Ha! Maybe let him choose the book? Or take turns choosing?
I like to read aloud, especially in a foreign language so I can work on my pronunciation, but I don’t like being to read to.  I haven’t been able to read aloud in awhile.  The last guy I dated hated when I tried to read aloud, and I have yet to pick it back up again.  I might do that tonight.
:D I basically counted it as a requisite for someone I dated, because I wasn’t going to stop just because there was someone else in the room! Current dude finally confessed to me that he used to hate being read aloud to, but because I enjoyed it so much, he bit his tongue, and now he’s used to it.
I’m glad your boy was nice and didn’t interfere. Â This is totally going on my list now. :)