The {Reading} Voices in Your Head

The {Reading} Voices in Your Head...it's not as creepy as it sounds.

When we read there are two voices or types of processing going on in our heads. The first is a reciting voice. The reciting voice is the voice that is saying the words of the text. The second is the conversation voice. The conversation voice is the voice that is interacting with the text. This conversation voice brings up background knowledge, makes connections, asks questions, and makes predictions.

It is important to recognize if your conversation voice is interacting with the text or distracting you from the text. The interacting voice helps you understand what you are reading by building on the text (making a connection between reading a poem about the Vietnam War and your grandfather telling you stories about being in the Vietnam War). The distracting voice comes in when whatever you are thinking about draws you away from what you're reading (the book mentions how ham was prepared in early colonial days and you think about the dinner party your hosting).

Good readers recognize the difference between these two types of conversation voices and when they're distracted bring their thoughts back to the meaning of what they're reading.


Wishing you homeschool blessings,