Expressive Reading Design Plan
How Do You Feel?
Emily Barnes

Materials: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, Random House Publishing. (enough copies for every student in the class), expression cards with different feelings on them such as happy, sad, mad, loud, soft, scared, and surprised, and "How's My Expression" evaluation sheets (One copy per student- see the attachment)

Procedures: 
1.  "To begin, I would like us to take a moment and review how we read big long words that we do not know.  Does everyone remember how to use word chunks?  Word chunks allow use to break down long words.  Let's review some words chunks that we already know!"  When reviewing word chunks the teacher would benefit the students best by using the cover-up method.  This method is where the teacher will cover up portions of the word and the students must say the portion of the word that is uncovered.  This method is effective when the students are stuck on a word.  The following words can be asked to the class by the teacher and used as a review on how to break up long words into word chunks:  remember (re-mem-ber), introduce (in-tro-duce), procedure (pro-ce-dure). 

2.  "Today we are going to learn how to read with expression!  Does anyone know what it means to read with expression?  It is important to read with expression because it makes the story much more interesting to hear and understand.  You can express how a character feels by reading with expression.  Why is reading with expression important?  (It can show that there are different characters in a story and how those characters feel at that particular place in the book.)  Now, I am going to read a part of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss!  I am going to read this part two different ways.  I would like for ya'll to tell me which part sounds best!"  Read a passage from Green Eggs and Ham in a monotone voice then read the passage with expression by altering your voice when the different characters are speaking.  Ask the students which version they like the best. 

3.  Pass out copies of Green Eggs and Ham to the students and put them in pairs.  Then pass out Expression Evaluation Sheets.  "Okay class, now we are going to read Green Eggs and Ham to our reading buddy!  One reading buddy will read the first half of the book and the other will read the second half of the book.  We are going to do this three times today!  Every time we read, you need to read the same part you read before so you should read your part a total of three times.  If your reading buddy is the one reading, then you have to be the evaluator!  You need to remind them to use their different voices, like happy, sad, and mad, to show how a certain character feels!  Okay boys and girls, let's get to reading!  Remember, I want to hear your different voices as you read!" 

4.  As an assessment, I will be walking around the room listening to my expressive readers.  As they are reading, I will be making notes on the students.  I also have another assessment activity that the students will find enjoyable.  When everyone is finished, I will have them come back and we will all sit in a big circle with our books.  "Okay boys and girls, did everyone read with expression?  "Now we are going to play a game to practice reading more expressively!  We are going to take turns with the group who read the first half and the group who read the second half.  I would like for the first group to turn to the same page in the passage that you read.  Each person in the second group has a set of expression cards.  The second group will hold up the same expression card.  The first group will read their passage out loud with the expression that the other group is holding!  We will all take turns hold the expression cards and reading our favorite passages!" 
 

References: 
1.  "Show me how you feel!" by Marie Nicol
2.  "Expression equals Enjoyment" by Meg Crow

Click Here to Return to Discoveries