Growing
We Like to
Read
with Enthusiasm
Rationale:
As children develop into independent readers, it is very important for
them to
read with fluency. A good indicator of reading fluency is a
student's
ability to tell a story with expression and enthusiasm. In this
lesson,
students will practice reading with expression so that they will become
more
creative and eager readers.
Materials:
1. Shannon, David. Duck on a Bike. Scholastic Inc. 2002.
(Have enough for half of the class.)
2. Shannon, David. David
Goes to School. Scholastic Inc. 1999.
(Have enough for the
other half of the students.)
3.
Copies of a partner reading expression evaluation sheet with the
following
questions:
a. Did your partner change their
voice
to make the story more interesting?
b. What happened in the story?
c. What could your
partner do to make
their story reading better?
Procedures:
1. Introduce the lesson by explaining to the students that when reading
stories,
it is important to read them with feeling and enthusiasm. Today, we are all going to practice reading
with expression
2.
Now, I am going to read one passage in
two different ways and I want you to tell me which way you think sounds
better.
The teacher will read a passage from The Grouchy Ladybug in a
very
unexciting voice:
"Good Morning,"
said the friendly ladybug. "Go
away!" shouted the grouchy ladybug.
"I want those aphids." "We
can share them," suggested the friendly ladybug. "No.
They're mine, all mine," screamed the grouchy ladybug. "Or do you want to fight me for them?"
Now,
I am going to read the passage in a different
voice. . The teacher will
reread the passage in a very excited and enthusiastic voice. Was the story more interesting when I told
it the first or second time? Could you tell a difference in my
expressions? Have them explain or give examples of what made
it more
interesting the second time the passage was read.
3.
When you tell a story to someone, the
person listening to you gets interested
when you change the tone of your voice to imitate the actions that are
happening
in the story. For example, when
something scary is occurring, let your voice get quiet so that the
person can
feel the anticipation, and when something thrilling is happening let
your voice
get louder and more exciting to reflect the joy of the passage.
4.
The teacher will distribute the books to the students so that half the
class
has one book, and the other half has a different book. Give students a
book talk about each of the two books. Duck
On a Bike, Have you ever heard of a duck riding a bike???
A duck finds a bicycle to ride. He is showing off his neat tricks
when some kids come through on their bikes. The kids do not see
duck on his bike. Half of you will read to find out what happens to
Duck!!! The other book is about a student who
always gets in trouble at school! Do you know any kids like
this? The other half of you will read to see if the boy in the
book does any better in school. Now, we are going to read our
books
silently. I want you to read the text two times. The first
time, I
want you to read the text for fun. The second time you read the
text, I
want you to think about how you would read the text to someone else in
a way that
would be interesting to him or her.
5.
Now, we are going to practice reading
with expression. Now I am going to partner you up with someone
who had
the opposite book that you had. I want each of you to take turns
reading
your books to each other. When you read, be sure to read with
expression to
reflect the words in the book, and when you listen to your partner
read, I want
you to fill out an evaluation sheet of their reading expression..
6.
The teacher will ask the students to write in their journals about
their partner's
story. Their journal entry should include the main characters,
the
setting, the problem, and the solution. They should also include
how they
think reading with expression makes a story more interesting.
7.
While the students are writing in their journals, the teacher(with a
checklist) will have
each
student come up and read their favorite passage in the book with
expression,
and assess their reading. The journal entries will be an
assessment of the
students' comprehension of their partner's reading ability.
References:
Eldredge, J.L. (1995). Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms.
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