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Your script has been created to be heard and/or seen, not to be read silently. By reading the script out loud to yourself you can get an idea of:

• about how long it will last on video (except that you may have to add time for non-text sequences in by estimating)
• the smoothness or readability of the text -- will speakers have trouble with certain phrases or sentences?
• the general flow of the information you are presenting -- you can be surprised at the gaps in your own script when you read it out loud!

But -- you cannot figure out from reading the script yourself how it is going to come across to your intended audience. For this you have to conduct a reading trial. A reading trial is simply a form of usability testing carried out on your draft script. Practice reading through the script several times, then recruit a listener. It's best to get someone from your target audience, of course -- but if you can't, find someone as close as possible who is willing to listen to you.

For a video script, show the listener your storyboard panels as you go. For an audio script, simply read the script to your listener.

When you're finished, ask questions like these:

• What was the main point, based on what you heard?
• What ideas or specific parts of the message do you remember?
• Was there anyplace that you felt "lost," or as if the material was going by too fast?
• Did anything sound odd, unnatural or strike you as funny when it probably wasn't meant to be?
• Which part was most interesting?

Based on responses to these questions you can examine your script and adjust it to be clearer, more engaging and more instructive. Avoid questions like, "Was it interesting? Did it flow? Was it confusing?" People are better able to answer you with evidence ("This part was confusing") than to give you generalities ("It was good"). Evidence is more useful to you than generalities too!

When in doubt, pare your script down. Most of us tend to overwhelm listeners with more information than is useful, and finding a way to say something with less words will usually help you clarify your message.