Story hearing, story reading

We use different parts of our minds to read and to hear. Back to kindergarten, maybe even before, I can recall using songs to learn. The months of the year, phrases in spanish and the primary and secondary colors alike, I still have the melodies and words in my head if I wish to recall them. People seem to remember what they hear more distinctly and effortlessly than what they read.

Reading forces us to rely on our imaginations almost solely. Anything we experience reading happens within the confines of our own minds. When a story is read, though, it is not only aurally experienced but also becomes interactive. It is a relationship between the speaker and the listener. This certainly creates an energy and dynamic that cannot be replaced by text.

When told a story, the teller will often use different voices when narratating or portraying different characters. This aspect gives birth to a sort of movement or life within the story. The telller can make sound effects to accentuate the emotional effects of the stories. He can speak in a low, sinister tone or make "wooshing" wind noises to invoke fear in his listeners, or he can speak with a tone of relief and celebration if he wishes to accentuate a happy moment in the story.