I found a really good website which demonstrates the importance of oral reading, and although it is geared towards children, it explains the importance of orality being linked to meaning through personalizing the story being read. Reading aloud makes the reader form connections with the story, and the character in it. When I was reading Robinson’s story out loud to myself, I found that I was making a different voice for each of the characters. For Coyote, I was reading him in a voice that was like an adult; one who was upset for being secluded by God, but when meeting the King he has a voice that included power and meaning. His voice changed with the changing of his personal life, when he was sad I spoke slower and had an inclination of sadness in my voice, which changed when he was given the role to talk to the King. From reading orally I found that I was connecting to each of the characters and understanding their issues (Coyote being secluded and then being asked to speak to the King; one must feel that they are being used for somebody else’s purpose). I then found a quote that helps to summarize this connection between reader and story by Kathrine Peterson “A book is a cooperative venture. The writer can write a story down, but the book will never be complete until a reader, of whatever age, takes that book and brings to it his own story.” Robinson is sharing his story with the reader, who in turn makes a connection with it, which becomes a story of their own.
Reading the story silently I found that I did not connect with the characters as much; they were just characters in somebody else’s story. But when I read it out loud and with my sister the story took on a personality of its own. The only issue with reading stories out loud is that one can memorize the basic plot of the story and when reading orally can choose to change certain aspects of the story. I got my sister to read the story back to me as well and was interested to hear that she changed the sound of Coyote’ voice; even though he was described as being a male, she though that he was more of a female character who wants to help her family, even if that means meeting the King of England. By meeting the King, Coyote makes a deal that the Native peoples get to keep their land after making a document with the King. This is much alike how a mother would act to keep her children safe, and even though Coyote is tricked he goes to his best efforts to allow the Native peoples to keep their land. I found this Government of Canada website which explains and gives dates to land treaties with the Native peoples which I found really helpful in connecting these historical events to the story. Robinson’s story, when read aloud, allows for the syntactic structure to become personalized to the reader; one can choose as to how each character should sound and what values they have in the story as well.
“Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension.” Reading Rockets. n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. http://www.readingrockets.org/article/reading-aloud-build-comprehension
“Treaties with Aboriginal People in Canada.” Government of Canada. 15 Sept. 2010. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032291/1100100032292
7 Comments
Hi Alexandra,
I like the Peterson quotation you included. I think it can apply both to oral and written stories. That being said, I was a little confused when you mentioned that “The only issue with reading stories out loud is that one can memorize the basic plot of the story and when reading orally can choose to change certain aspects of the story”. Did you mean this as a positive or negative thing? Personally, I think this is what is fun about telling stories. It reminded me of our assignment when we had to tell our story about how evil came into the world. We could change certain details but the beginning and the end always had to stay the same. Thanks for your thoughts!
Jasmine
Thank you for your comment 🙂
(I answered your comment in the post below I’m sorry!) I have copied my thoughts again in this comment…
In adding your own thoughts to the story and changing it, I meant it as a positive concept! I love reading stories, and when retelling them aloud, adding or subtracting from the main plot. This adds your own personal touch to the story and actually helps me to remember it. I read a little bit of this story to my sister, and actually read a chapter to myself and then closed the book and orally read what I remembered to her. I know I did leave some parts our and emphasized others, but when I was finished I remembered the chapter really well and took what I remembered as the key concepts of it.
I really like telling stories and my ability to alter how the story can occur which also teaches me about the characters in the story and how they adapt to the plot or moral found in the story. I think reading aloud is an important step in reading this story and understanding the key concepts.
Alexandra,
Great blog post! First off, I would like to say that I really enjoyed the link you posted in the first paragraph about oral reading. Like you said, although it is more geared towards children, I believe it is extremely important for everyone to fully comprehend what oral reading can do to enhance the stories at hand. I definitely agree with you that reading out loud to yourself and others (your sister in this case) clearly has a major effect on the way the story can be heard and understood. Did you get someone else to read the story to you, as well? I find that when someone else reads to story to me, it adds yes another dimension to my understanding and interpretation of the story that, when all compounded, brings the story further to life. Thanks for your post!
Devon Smith
I agree that the basic concept of oral reading should be understood before looking at a text that should be read aloud. By learning key concepts as to why oral reading is important, especially for certain texts, the reader can understand why and learn techniques on how to read aloud.
In adding your own thoughts to the story and changing it, I meant it as a positive concept! I love reading stories, and when retelling them aloud, adding or subtracting from the main plot. This adds your own personal touch to the story and actually helps me to remember it. I read a little bit of this story to my sister, and actually read a chapter to myself and then closed the book and orally read what I remembered to her. I know I did leave some parts our and emphasized others, but when I was finished I remembered the chapter really well and took what I remembered as the key concepts of it.
Thanks! 🙂
I actually did not get anybody else to read it aloud to me…but after reading your comment I think I will try this! When hearing the story read aloud by another person the reader is able to visualize what is happening in the story and connect all of the characters and the key concepts together. Thank you for this suggestion!
Hi Alexandra!
I enjoyed reading your blog post, and found that first hyperlink to be especially interesting! Thanks for sharing! I answered the same question on my blog and found that reading the story orally definitely added a personalized element to it. The point you made about the ability to add your own touch and changes to oral stories was great! I think this is really important in that it makes the story easier to relate to and in my opinion, is a useful tool to ensure it can be passed down. I noticed many of the details in Coyote’s story were somewhat ambiguous – do you think this was intended to allow readers to add their own spin on it when telling it aloud without compromising the moral of the story? That’s sort of the way I saw it – but who knows what Robinson intended!
– Shamina
I think that by Coyote being ambiguous during parts of the story does allow the reader to add their own ideas into it. Just like any story that you read, you shape how the character looks, acts and their importance in the story itself. Coyote becomes the figure who is appointed to be communicator for the Indigenous peoples between them and the King, and yet he does this as an obligation from God. The moral of the story remains the same whether read silently or aloud, and Coyotes actions do maintain this moral either way. In adding to the story your own ideas and opinions the story can be passed down to future generations-with your own thoughts included 🙂
Thank you for the comment!