Using Novel Effect to Enhance Read Alouds with our Mystery Reader Program

 In an attempt to bring back pre-pandemic library programming and continue to support the literacy needs of our young students, the Mystery Reader Program has returned. <insert cheers of joy> 😃📚 This time around, we have amped up our game by using Novel Effect, an IOS and Google Play app that provides a multi-sensory story time experience.

Let me tell you how we utilize this program!

Organizing Grade Level Teams

Each grade level in our building is invited to visit the library once per month, beginning in November and ending in May. I share this infographic with all faculty that contains background information about the Mystery Reader Program. Click here for an editable template in Canva.

Grade Level Schedule

     

Teacher Info

Recruiting Mystery Readers

While grade level teams are busy finalizing their Mystery Reader schedule, I am busy recruiting participants to serve as the mystery guest readers.  Click here for an editable Canva template to create your own recruitment letter. I reach out to all district administrators, instructional specialist, librarians from other buildings, and our School Resource Officer (SRO) to gauge interest using a simple Google Form (see below).

Mystery Reader Recruitment Letter

Mystery Reader Google Form

Putting It Together

Once I have the completed grade level schedules and completed Google Form information from potential mystery reader participants, I create another schedule and share that with our willing participants to sign up for a date/time slot. Here is a link to an editable Google Sheet.

Editable Google Sheet

One week before the scheduled event, I send a friendly email reminder to our Mystery Reader with a request to share "3 fun things" about themselves. TIP: I use the scheduling feature in Gmail to compose a reminder email for each guest reader and schedule them to send 7 days before their scheduled slot. I do this task all in one sitting, otherwise I might forget too! On the day of the Mystery Reader event, I am sure to send an email reminder to the grade level team. I clear our story area to make room for our students, and prepare our tablet and bluetooth speaker in order to use Novel Effect. Students are met at the door and ushered into our beautiful library space. Our Mystery Reader is hidden from view as I review our story time rules and share "3 fun things" provided by the reader. Students are excited to make guesses and even more surprised when our Mystery Reader's identity is revealed. Students cheer and call out "I knew it was her!"...or "Hey I know her!".  It's an amazing feeling to watch 100+ children get excited about reading. Oh my librarian heart!💓💓💓

Let's Amp Things Up with Novel Effect

In advance of our Mystery Reader event, our guest reader selected a book from the list of Novel Effect soundscapes. She came into the Library to rehearse in order to become familiar with the amazing sound effects and magical voice cues included in the soundscape. It did not take her long to match her read aloud style with the soundscape. To learn more about Novel Effect please click here to for an editable Canva template/presentation I created to share with my own faculty about the amazing resources in Novel Effect.

As you can see from the photo below, we had approximately 100+ Kindergarten students in the Library during our first Mystery Reader event and they were all ENCHANTED with the story read by our Mystery Reader. THE KIDS WERE COMPLETELY ENGAGED!!! Not only were our students engaged, but teachers unfamiliar with the magic of Novel Effect were awestruck too! Heads kept turning to figure out where and how this magic was happening. Smiles erupted from everyone's faces. To say this event was a success would be an understatement. Everyone left the Library feeling deliciously happy.