Calm · 15 min
Read aloudto someone
A chapter, a poem, a page of the paper, read out loud to a child, a partner or someone who is unwell.
We read aloud to children and then stop. It is worth starting again, with anyone who would like to listen.
The steps
Four small steps,in your own time.
Choose something to read: a chapter of a novel, a short story, a few poems, an article from the paper.
Ask the person if they would like you to read to them, and agree on a time that suits them.
Sit close enough to be heard without raising your voice. Read slowly, a little slower than feels natural.
Stop at a natural place. Ask if they would like the next part tomorrow.
The reason
Why it helps
Being read to is restful in a way most adults have forgotten, and reading aloud is a gentle way to spend time together that does not need talk. It gives a visit or an evening a shape. For someone who is tired or unwell, it can be easier than conversation and still feel like company.
A gentle variation
If your voice is tired, take turns, a page each. If you are apart, read on a call.
WE · TRIBE
Try itwith someone.
Make it a regular thing with someone in your circle: the same time each week, the same book until it is done.
Try it today
Choose something to read and ask one person today whether they would like you to read it aloud to them.
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