Can you make a squeaky voice? How about a rough growly voice? Add spice to your book readings by changing up your voice and adding sound effects.

Give a mouse a high pitched quiet voice or a lion a loud deep voice. Did Humpty fall off a wall? Add a SPLAT!! Did the big bad wolf blow the house down? Add WHOOSH! and maybe a CRASH! Is it snowing? Add a BRR! and give a shiver.

Don’t be afraid if voice elements aren’t your strong suit. Kids enjoy doing something fun. Adding additional elements like these can make stories appear more alive and even the attempt will make a book more entertaining to listen to.

Reading is one of the 5 early literacy practices supported by Every Child Ready to Read®. By embracing your inner actor you are helping to build the important six skills: print awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, and print motivation. So, let go of your monotone reading voice. Change it up, make sounds, and laugh!

Every Child Ready to Read® is a project of the Association for Library Service to Children and the Public Library Association, divisions of the American Library Association.