Real HumanFemale K-12 Voice Over Actor Genevieve Baer
Genevieve Baer is the Perfect Choice for your K-12 Voiceover
Female Voice Actor Genevieve Baer is a natural when it comes to speaking to children. Not only is she a mom herself, but she has always had an affinity for kids of all ages and a special knack for communicating with them. Just like any voiceover genre, K-12 needs to connect with the audience. Whether it’s voiceover aimed at young toddlers, Elementary aged children, Middle School Pre-teen kids, or High School teenagers, the tone of the voiceover needs to adjust according to the age of the audience it is aimed for.
What is the Content of your K-12 Narration?
The content of the k-12 voiceover will also help determine the voice actor’s delivery. E-learning content aimed towards young kids might call for a bit of a slower delivery so that a young child can follow along. The voiceover should be lively and animated so as to hold a child’s attention. If the material is teaching new words or terms to children then very clear articulation will be necessary. One such example of this is the dozens of eReaders that Genevieve voiced for Nat Geo Kids. These educational books were divided by reading level from “Pre-reader” up to Level III. Genevieve had to adjust her pace according to the level of the book so that children to follow along easily as they listened to her voice and looked at the pages.
Adjust Voiceover Delivery for the Age Group
On the other hand, if the voiceover is directed towards pre-teens or teenagers, then a more conversational or peer-to-peer delivery might be more appropriate. After all, the last thing a teenager wants to feel is “talked down to”. The delivery should still have energy but nothing that reads as “overly” animated.
Sensitivity to Subject Matter is Essential
Some K-12 projects call for real sensitivity and acting ability. Genevieve has had the honor of tackling voiceover projects that talk about some serious topics such as suicide prevention, drug usage, teen pregnancy, sexual harassment, etc. In these cases, it is essential that the voiceover come across and empathetic and authentic. In some cases, the voice actor needs to be able to access the difficult emotions that go along with those topics. Voice actor Genevieve Baer comes has had intense acting training and years of professional acting experience. She uses these skills to access the complex emotions and allow them to shape her delivery.
K-12 Narration Calls for a Sense of Play!
On the other end of the spectrum, K-12 voiceovers often require a voice actor to access their silly side! Kids do not edit their emotions or expression like adults do. Connecting with them can often involve accessing our childlike silliness. For example, Genevieve had the pleasure of voicing a phone app for National Geographic Kids called “Just Joking” where she had a blast telling a series of animal-related jokes. These jokes were full of puns, weird noises, and all sorts of silly expressions that appeal to a child’s send of humor.
Genevieve Baer K-12 Voice Over Videos
Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary
Noodles World Kitchen Fairytale
Mikey and Mrs. Wise answer Kids' Covid Questions
Voice Actor Genevieve is a Natural Storyteller
Excitement! Suspense! Whimsy! Energy! Playfulness! Warmth! Clarity! Authenticity!
Some or all of the above qualities go into great storytelling. Genevieve has always been a storyteller…even long before she had children of her own and spent night after night reading bedtime stories (and you can bet she did ALL of the character voices!). A great K-12 voiceover has to be engaging and it has to tell a story. Even the youngest of listeners will listen more attentively to a lively and nuanced read. And more mature listeners will zone out if the read is too flat and sterile. Young listeners of all ages crave engaging and authentic reads no matter the content.
What does K-12 Voiceover mean?
What do we mean when we refer to a voiceover as K-12 voiceover? Well, to put it simply, it’s any non-broadcast voiceover that is aimed for an audience in grades K-12. This can include things like games, toys, audiobooks, explainer videos, and phone apps. But most often, it’s some form of eLearning.
By far, the most common type of K-12 voiceover is meant to teach or instruct in some way–whether it is an academic, social, or emotional lesson or skill.
A great voiceover for a K-12 eLearning project can have a huge impact on both the engagement and comprehension of the material. Younger students tend to respond more positively to an energetic and dynamic delivery. This can help maintain their focus and attention on the material. The right voiceover talent can help simplify challenging material, making it easier to understand. Using the proper tone for both the material and the age group helps foster a feeling of connection or relatability. That connection also helps maintain the learners’ focus and retention.
A great K-12 voice actor will have the following traits and/or abilities:
• Energetic Delivery: the ability to keep the energy high without coming across as insincere. This keeps young listeners excited and engaged.
• Articulation: the ability to speak clearly with great and clear diction without sounding unnatural is essential for K-12 voiceover…particularly with very young learners or children with learning challenges.
• Variation: The voiceover delivery should have a variety of inflections along with varied pitches and paces. A great K-12 voiceover will be a storyteller and avoid anything to dull or flat in order to maintain interest and engagement.
• Flexibility: A voiceover talent for K-12 must be able to adapt their delivery to both the content and the age of the audience. Although it’s always important to be engaging, it has to engage in an appropriate way according to the material.
• Engaging Questions or Prompts: Voiceover for K-12 eLearning is often used as a tool to further engage the students through specific questions or prompts. For example: “What do you think Suzy felt uncomfortable going to the park that day?” or “take out a piece of paper and write down three things you remember about Suzy’s bedroom”. The voice actor has to be able to deliver these questions or prompts in an interesting and engaging way without sounding too bossy or challenging.
