I often think back to when I was teaching elementary school. Even though it was important for my students to do well in all subjects, it seemed that reading was the subject that held the key to all the others. Whatever I could do to help them learn to love reading, I was all-in for.
For example, I worked hard to make sure that I had an extensive library of books for my kids to read, and regardless of how many years I read Old Yeller aloud, I always dreaded the ending. That is, I dreaded knowing I would cry as I read the ending, no matter how many times I read it. But I also knew that my students would cry as well — some of them always did, too — and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There is something special that happens when you really get into a book and it make an emotional connection.
For many of my students, those who lacked the joy of reading, it was my goal to take their reading to the next level. Not just in regards to the next Lexile level, but the next level in connecting reading to their heart.
Creating an Effect
That’s exactly what the creators of Novel Effect hope to do. The free app for both Apple and Android allows you to read a book aloud while it provides special effects and relevant audio. Instead of speech-to-text, think of this as speech-to-sound effects. As you are reading out loud, the app listens and provides audio to enhance the reading. Leaves rustle, animals howl, and footsteps crackle as you tell your tale, adding life to every line and engaging your audience.
Whether you are reading aloud to your class, a parent reading to his/her child, or a student reading aloud to his or herself or a small group, Novel Effect is a clever tool that follows your lead and makes reading (and listening) that much more fun.
Hear an Excerpt
In the clip below, you can hear my rendition of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! with the assistance of the Novel Effect app.