The Voice Chatterbox - Book Week
Bring fluency practice to life with The Voice Chatterbox, a fun, interactive paper fortune teller that encourages students to read aloud using a wide variety of expressive voices. Designed as a companion to The Fluency Ladder and The Fluency Performance Board, this engaging resource transforms repeated reading into a game that students will want to play again and again.
Students choose what they will say (a favourite book quote, nursery rhyme, joke or tongue twister) before revealing a surprise character voice such as a pirate, robot, ghost, giant or tiny mouse. Every combination encourages students to reread familiar text with different pacing, tone, volume and expression, naturally strengthening oral reading fluency and confidence. The resource also includes a blank template for students to design and create their own chatterboxes using original prompts and character voices.
Ideal for Book Week, literacy rotations, fluency warm-ups and partner activities, The Voice Chatterbox provides an engaging way to build expressive reading while encouraging laughter, creativity and repeated oral practice.
Learning goals
- We are learning to create and deliver short oral presentations to peers.
- We are learning to read decodable and authentic texts fluently using phonic knowledge and to monitor meaning using context and grammar.
- We are learning to create and deliver short oral and multimodal presentations to peers, which include an opening, middle and concluding statement, appropriate vocabulary, gestures, volume and pace.
- We are learning to read texts fluently and use strategies to make meaning.
- We are learning to structure, rehearse and present short oral presentations on new and familiar topics.
- We are learning to confidently read different types of texts aloud with fluency and intonation and use our knowledge of reading strategies, vocabulary, grammar and phonics when reading.
- We are learning to re-read and edit texts for appropriate meaning, structure, grammatical choices and punctuation.
- We are learning to confidently read different types of texts aloud with fluency and intonation and use our knowledge of reading strategies, vocabulary, grammar, phonics, re-reading and self-correction when reading.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver presentations in an organised manner with relevant facts and description from reliable sources.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver multimodal presentations for specific audiences and purposes sequenced logically in an organised manner with appropriate features of voice and relevant facts from reliable sources.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver multimodal presentations for specific audiences and purposes sequenced logically in an organised manner, with appropriate features of voice and relevant information, arguments and facts from reliable sources.
Curriculum alignment
AC9EFLY07
9
Create and deliver short spoken texts to report ideas and events to peers, using features of voice such as appropriate volume
AC9E1LY04
9
Read decodable and authentic texts using developing phonic knowledge, phrasing and fluency, and monitoring meaning using context and grammatical knowledge
AC9E1LY07
9
Create and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations on personal and learnt topics, which include an opening, middle and concluding statement; some topic-specific vocabulary and appropriate gesture, volume and pace
AC9E2LY04
9
Read texts with phrasing and fluency, using phonic and word knowledge, and monitoring meaning by re-reading and self-correcting
AC9E2LY07
9
Create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations for familiar audiences and purposes, using text structure appropriate to purpose and topic-specific vocabulary, and varying tone, volume and pace
AC9E3LY04
9
Read a range of texts using phonic, semantic and grammatical knowledge to read accurately and fluently, re-reading and self-correcting when required
AC9E3LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations to inform, express opinions or tell stories, using a clear structure, details to elaborate ideas, topic-specific and precise vocabulary, visual features, and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume
AC9E4LY04
9
Read different types of texts, integrating phonic, semantic and grammatical knowledge to read accurately and fluently, re-reading and self-correcting when needed
AC9E4LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver structured oral and/or multimodal presentations to report on a topic, tell a story, recount events or present an argument using subjective and objective language, complex sentences, visual features, tone, pace, pitch and volume
AC9E5LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include relevant, elaborated ideas, sequencing ideas and using complex sentences, specialist and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features
AC9E6LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include information, arguments and details that develop a theme or idea, organising ideas using precise topic-specific and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
- Model how to fold and use the chatterbox before students begin.
- Allow students to use familiar poems or nursery rhymes if they are unable to recall a favourite book quote.
- Pair less confident readers with supportive partners.
- Reduce the number of voice options for younger students if required.
- Encourage students to rehearse before sharing aloud.
Extensions
- Invite students to create their own chatterbox using original voice ideas and speaking prompts.
- Challenge students to perform the same line using several different voices and discuss how meaning changes.
- Pair with The Fluency Ladder to reinforce fluency skills through repeated oral reading.
- Hold a class "Voice Challenge" where students perform for small groups.
- Encourage students to invent new character voices and add them to future chatterboxes.