LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1. Learning about audio fiction, and how to create a simple audio fiction script. 

2. Exploring reading out loud, and techniques to enhance storytelling.

SUCCESS CRITERIA:

1. Completed a short piece of writing for an audio or read-aloud story.

2. Read or recorded a story, using audio performance techniques.

PRE-VIDEO:

• Have you ever listened to a story read by someone else? Maybe a teacher read one out loud to you, or perhaps you heard a story recording. What sorts of things did you find different when listening to that spoken story, compared to reading a written story yourself?

• What do you think makes a story interesting to listen to? 

• Does listening to a story read by someone else change how you understand a story? In what ways?

POST VIDEO:

• Tamala and Ben described audio stories as, ‘any type of spoken story that is just for your ears’. Do you remember some of the different kinds of audio stories they mentioned?  (NB – poetry, song, podcast, radio play or audio drama, audiobooks, short stories).

• Tamala said that audio stories allow words to ‘come to life’ as we can hear the characters' voices and their environments. Can you think of any examples of audio stories you have heard where the characters' voices or sounds made the story more engaging?

• Ben said that audio fiction ‘combines some of the best things about reading and watching TV’, since they ‘transport us somewhere else’ but still allow us to ‘fill in the details’ with our imaginations. What do you think he means by that?

• Tamala talked about the process of recording an audiobook, and some of the steps involved. Do you remember what an audiobook is?

• What did Tamala say she did first when cast to narrate an audiobook? (NB – read the book and make notes to decide how she will read or perform it).

• Ben told us about audio fiction and audio dramas, and how these stories get made.

  • What is an audio fiction or an audio drama? 

  • How are these different to audio books? (NB – they are written for the audio format, and are more like a script that is intended to be performed). 

• Ben also described some of the differences between reading an audiobook and performing in an audio drama. Do you remember what those differences were?

• Ben and Tamala gave us some advice for listening to audio fiction. Ben recommended starting with short stories, and Tamala told us to explore our libraries to find stories to listen to.

  • What else did they recommend?

  • What are some ways YOU might get the most out of listening to an audio story?