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In the words of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. A love of books is best of all”. Here at Connect we couldn’t agree more.

With World Book Day fast approaching and the success of our recent storybook competition, we spoke to professional Storyteller, Jake Evans about his top tips on giving the best performance.

Here is what Jake had to say…

1. Pick a story you really like.

It sounds simple, but if you love the story your audience will know! Children’s books tend to be classic and last the test of time. Those stories you loved when you were little will be just as relevant to children today and if you tell them well then today’s little ones will love them just as much.

2. Play with speed

When you’re reading out loud, think about the pace of the story. Speed up and slow down like a rollercoaster! This creates excitement, suspense and will help to captivate your audience – no matter how young.

3. Turn up the volume

Volume is just as important as speed. Speaking quietly will help to build up anticipation and draw your audience in. Loud voices will bring your characters to life and shock and excite your audience.

4. Get your accents out!

Using different voices for different characters really brings a story to life. (The Gruffalo is a great one for this) From your voices, the children will be able to identify which character is speaking before you tell them.

5. Give it 100%

From my experience, Nursery Practitioners are normally quite happy to stand up and be silly in front of their children. But not everyone feels confident enough to really put themselves out there. My best advice would be to go for it! If you’re going to do animal impressions or sound effects or actions, give it your all. It’s less embarrassing if you really go for it, and… the children will LOVE it.

6. Make it interactive

As we know children love repetition. If you’ve found a book that they’re really engaged with, read it again! Give them their own parts and ask them to join in, or give them props and let the imaginative play run wild!

The theme of World Book Day 2019 is ‘Share a Story’. Here are some stories for you to watch/share with your parents this World Book Day. Some of Jake’s recent work with Connect Childcare, watch these stories below or head to our Facebook page to see more.

To find out more about Jake, or to book a storytelling session you can visit his website or speak to him on social media:

Facebook or Twitter