And just like with taste and smells, similes and metaphors can enrich the page. But there are other times you need words for sounds. There are many times you would describe the action and not use onomatopoeia. Communicate the sights/smells/sounds of the area to the reader. The OP's description of 'sound effect' calls up a limited type of sound. And why stop there? If you simply add in the element of ELA by creating dialogue, your students are well on their way to becoming script writers too! There are countless opportunities to turn a wordless book into a multimedia extravaganza at any grade level. On the left is the structure to be used when writing a story. Teachers and students wishing to turn the volume up a bit (pun intended) can also use iMovie to create a presentation of the book and add in their own sound effect recordings. Even older students can develop and build their own Foley studio by collecting or creating found-sounds to use.Words that have almost the same denotation (dictionary meaning) can have. Use shaker eggs to create the sound of the snow falling When writing, use vocabulary suited for the type of assignment.Use claves to make the sound of Carl walking.Older students can use unpitched hand percussions to enhance a reading of the story.

Rubbing hands together can be the sound of the snow falling.Patting the legs can be the sound of Carl’s steps.Young students can use body percussion to add sound effects to a class reading of the book.Using a wordless book such as Carl’s Christmas provides a wonderful opportunity to allow your students to become Foley artists and make a story come alive and your only limitations are the number of sounds you feel are necessary for the story. Students can create their own text or dialogue, but in this case, I would like to encourage you to explore the possibility of using sound to tell the story. Wordless books lend themselves to countless opportunities for integration. One such book, entitled Carl’s Christmas, is the perfect choice for a holiday activity with your students. If you haven’t had the opportunity to become acquainted with these (mostly) wordless books yet, I highly recommend you do so here. Who is Carl, you ask? Why, Carl the Rottweiler dog, star of Alexandra Day’s endearing series. And my favorite time of the year to do that is the holidays – for one special reason. Sound and music play a huge role in creating the mood or feeling of a scene yet if you have ever spoken to someone in the entertainment industry, such as a director, they will tell you that just the right tune or single sound can make or break a scene in a movie.Īs a classroom teacher, I always like to include music whenever possible. However, that is not the case in the movies. We become so used to these environmental sounds that, indeed, we become immune to them. At any given moment we could be listening to pleasant sounds or not-so-pleasant sounds. It surrounds us as we go about our daily lives.

Sounds for storywriting