Sound Effects Story

What you need

• a picture book with lots happening, such as a walk, a storm or a trip to a farm
• a saucepan and a wooden spoon
• a paper bag to scrunch
• a plastic bottle with some rice in, lid taped on

How to do it

1. Choose a book they know and set the sound makers out on the rug: the pan and spoon, the paper bag and the rice bottle.
2. Read it through once, and every time something happens, stop and ask what sound it would make.
3. Read it again, and this time let them make the sounds: scrunching leaves with the bag, thunder on the pan, rain with the rice.
4. At the end, ask why the loudest sound came where it did, and let them choose a page to do again.

Why it matters

To bang the pan at the right moment they have to follow the story closely, and deciding how loud each sound should be makes them part of the telling.

What they're learning

Loud and soft

Thunder on the pan, rain on the rice: choosing how loud each one should be.

Listening to a story

Waiting for the right moment means following every page.

Thinking back

Why did the thunder come there? Going back over what happened.

What to look for

Notice them getting a sound ready before you turn the page.

A tip

Tape the bottle lid on firmly before you start. Books where something happens on every page work best.

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