Professional & Career Development Services

Counseling Center

Basic Guidelines

Getting Started:

• Skim the material and look for any words or graphics that may be problematic
• Be sure the microphone is about a foot away
• Begin Recording
• Read a few sentences and then stop and review the quality of the tape
  • If there is humming or static, find a staff member to assist you
  • If your voice sounds hollow move the mic closer
  • If you hear "pops" especially on b's, d's, p's
  • and t's or a hissing noise on s's then move the mic away

While reading:

• Speak in a normal tone and keep a steady pace. Remember if you're falling asleep reading it then the student will fall asleep listening to it!
• A quicker pace is usually preferred, but be sure to maintain clear annunciation.
• Utilize vocal dynamics, so that there will be some variety in your pitch, speed, and volume.
• Don't rock, tap the desk, or talk with your hands near your face; these things reduce the quality of the recording.

Finishing up:

• Find a good stopping point. The end of a chapter, or section is best. Please do not end in the middle of a paragraph.
• State the page you are stopping on. This helps us keep things in order and is very important.
• Hit pause or the stop key.
• Use a Post-It to signal the next reader where they start reading.
• Let a staff member know that you are leaving and if you want to sign up to volunteer again.