A reading in the Liturgy is more than a reading.
A reader in the Liturgy does more than read.
A reader in the Liturgy proclaims the Word of God.
The purpose of the proclamation is to communicate understanding, enliven faith and to call for a response in prayer and life.
The one who is reading/proclaiming needs to understand the message to be proclaimed and to have the spiritual sensitivity to allow the Holy Spirit to be active in the proclamation. Understanding the message is something deeper than merely comprehending the individual words. Spiritual sensitivity grows through meditation on the sacred message.
The first reading in the Liturgy is often a difficult reading which presents quite a challenge to the reader/proclaimer. Do the best you can! It might be consoling to remember that only the people of the time and place knew exactly how to pronounce the names given in the texts. All of us make approximations in this regard, so don’t be embarrassed if you feel you are a bit off the mark as far as names of persons and places are concerned. (The Pronunciation Guide in the back of Break Open the Word offers some help.) Focus on the meaning; you can hardly proclaim a meaning if you can’t see a meaning.
There is usually no need to put in ritual directions and explanations. Such additional statements are not the Word of God; they clutter up the Liturgy and generally are not conducive to an atmosphere of reflection and prayer. (If some direction to the congregation is sometimes needed in regard to sitting or standing, usually a simple hand gesture will suffice.)
So instead of saying things like “This is a reading ...” or “And the second reading is taken from ...”, simply follow the lectionary introduction and say “A reading from ...”. “A reading from ...”.
There is no need to announce the responsorial psalm – people know it is coming – or to say the word “Response”. There is no need to give directions like “Please stand for the Alleluia” or “Please stand for the Gospel”. At most a hand gesture might be used if the congregation is unsure.
Reading — Proclaiming
Just about everybody can read. Not everyone has the gift and skill of being able to proclaim. Good reading/proclaiming is heard, understood and gives faith inspiration.
Some young people can read/proclaim very well and are open to accept helpful suggestions concerning the best way to do it.
So especially if you ask a young person to read/proclaim in the Liturgy, make sure you make the proper procedure clear. Points listed above might be included in the description of the desired procedure in your congregation.
The more children and young people are included in Sunday Liturgy the greater are the chances that they will continue to come.