Reading Aloud for a Lifetime
My first child learned to read early. Soon after, he announced, “I don’t need bedtime stories anymore. I can read by myself.” He made the same mistake many adults make: that reading aloud is only for the very young.
Modern Memorization
When my grandmother was losing her memory, she still remembered the poetry she had memorized as a girl. She had no idea who I was (“this is my great friend…(pause) tell me again how we met?”), but out for a walk together she would stop and gaze with joy at a tree. From the depths of her memory she would recite:
Sharing Sad Stories
Now I’m going to tell you the story of little Penelope Boothby. I met her last week when I was traveling about the country with Granny and Grandpa visiting very old and famous English churches. At least, I didn’t exactly meet her. She’s been dead for almost 200 years, you see.