This week, our children have been diving into the delightful story of Elvis the Elf. As we’ve been reading, the focus has been on developing fluency — reading smoothly, with expression, and understanding the meaning behind the words.

Today, we took this a step further by introducing something special: the Storyteller Voice

The storyteller voice helps bring a story to life! It’s how readers use expression, tone, and pacing to make the story more engaging for the listener. For example, when Elvis feels excited or surprised, our voices might sound brighter or faster. When something mysterious happens, our voices might slow down and become softer.

By using their storyteller voices, children are not only making their reading more interesting to hear, but also deepening their understanding of the characters and events in the story. Thinking about how Elvis might sound, or why a moment feels happy, sad, or funny, helps them connect more deeply with the text.

You can support this at home by:

• Encouraging your child to read aloud to you, using their storyteller voice.
• Taking turns reading different characters or sections.
• Talking together about how the story made you feel and why the characters might act or speak a certain way.

We’re so proud of how confidently the children are growing as expressive, thoughtful readers. Elvis the Elf has certainly helped us sprinkle a little storytelling magic into our reading this week!