Ideas for Talking Books

Talking Books are a great way to strengthen reading skills in any language. Create sets of story texts and audio recordings so literacy group members, children and others can listen to stories while following the written word. These talking books can be available for people to borrow to practice reading at home. Literacy group members and high school students with higher level literacy skills could be involved in creating the talking books. Or you could look for funding or volunteers and have the talking books done professionally.

Oral History Talking Books

• Choose an oral history recording – perhaps one your group has recorded, or one done by another organization such as CBC.
• Listen carefully to the recording and type the exact words spoken by the speaker. This is called a transcript. Typing transcripts is very difficult and detailed work, so work in pairs or small groups. Each pair or small group can work on a small part of the transcript. Type the transcript in clear large print. (See Transcribing Interviews in The Process of Collecting Oral Histories section).
• The group may decide to laminate the written transcript. Have the talking book set (recording and transcript) available in plastic library bags for people to borrow.

or...

• Photocopy Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun stories from books, newspapers or magazines, such as Inuit Cultural Institute publications or Inuktitut magazine. A good reader reads and records the story. (See Recording Equipment in the Planning Your Project section for information about recording equipment.)
• Laminate the photocopied story and have the talking book set available in plastic library bags for people to borrow.
• Keep a list or personal dictionary of new words as you read and listen. The facilitator can use these words to teach mini-lessons on vocabulary, spelling or grammar. Group members could test each other to help remember the new words.

Children’s Talking Books

• Adults or older children can read and record Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun children’s books. This would be an excellent project for a literacy group.
• The literacy group could create a library of talking books to keep at the local library or Community Learning Centre for families to borrow and listen to together.
• Each group member chooses a book they would like to read.
• The facilitator models expressive reading, adding humour and sound effects to the story.
• The group members practice reading the story, using lots of expression and adding sounds and animal noises for special effects. Practice in pairs or small groups to give each other encouragement, ideas and feedback. Read the story as many times as you need to feel comfortable and confident.