Rationale: Expression and fluency is very important to have if one wants to be an effective reader. Without these two aspects, reading would neither be interesting nor fun. Students need to develop these two skills in order to enjoy reading. The best way to acquire expression and fluency is practice, practice, practice. Through this lesson, the students will practice reading with expression and also the different punctuation that tells us how we need to read the sentence. This will also help with fluency because they will be rereading which develops sight words.

Materials: Rainbow Fish and Friends: Hide-and-Seek by Marcus Pfister and The Three Magicians by Margaret Mahy (Pub: Shortland Publications)

Procedures:
1. I will introduce the lesson by asking the students if they know what the phrase 'reading with expression' means. If someone raises their hand, I will let them answer, if not I will tell the students that 'reading with expression means' that the reader uses feelings and emotions as they read a story. "A good reader always reads with expression and I know everyone wants to be a great reader so we are going to practice this skill today." Reading with expression makes it fun and exciting for both the reader and their listeners.
2. "I am now going to read everyone a story, The Three Magicians," (read without expression, maybe just a page or two). "Now am going to reread the story" (this time with expression). "Class, which did you like best, the first time I read the story or the second time I read the story?" (Hopefully, everyone will like the second time better.) I will now explain to the children why the second reading was more enjoyable. "The reason why everyone liked the second reading better was because I read with expression. You could tell when a character was excited, sad, or angry."
3. We will now review the punctuation marks to refresh the students' memory of what they convey. "Okay class, we are going to review punctuation marks. These marks tell us how to say a sentence, in other words, what kind of expression we need to use." (On board, write these sentences: Wow, look at that butterfly! , Did mom go to the store? , I have so much homework to do.) "The first sentence ends with an exclamation point which means you read the sentence with enthusiasm." (Read sentence modeling expression.) "The next sentence ends with a question mark so you would read it sounding like you are puzzled or confused." (Read sentence modeling expression). "The last sentence ends with a period so you just read it with a normal voice and tone." (Read sentence modeling expression.) "Now, I want us all to say the sentences together reading them with the same expression that I read them in." (Read all sentences together as a class.)
4. "I want everyone to pair up. I am going to write five sentences on the board." Sentences are: Did you see that pretty horse?, I need to go get groceries., What is your favorite color?, I have a headache. , and Hand me the telephone, please. "Now, I am going to write five expressions on the board and I want everyone to practice saying each sentence using all the different expressions. It might sound funny to say some of the sentences with the expressions that I will have listed but if you can do it then you are on your way to being a reading with expression master." The expressions are sad, excited, tired, confused, and angry. "I am going to model one of the sentences for you." (Read sentence number one using the tired expression.) "Alright, yaâll may begin."
5. "I am now going to divide everyone into groups of threes." (The students will each be given a book, Rainbow Fish and Friends: Hide-and-Seek, to read.) "I want each student to read to the group but I want you to really practice reading using expression. After each student has read the book once, I want everyone to reread it and try to read it with even more expression then how you read it the first time."
6. After everyone finishes reading, I am going to ask the students to pick two sentences from the book that they would like to read to the class using expression. After a student reads their sentences, the students will have to guess what kind of expression the student used to read the sentence with. The students could even make a chart on the board showing everyone's guesses as to which expression they think it is.
7. Assessment: For assessment, I will ask each student to come to my desk and read me two sentences (We get to go to the water park! / I think I lost my umbrella.) I will ask the student to read the first sentence with excitement and the second sounding sad. This will let me see whether or not the students are able to read with expression. I will have a check list for each student. The expressions will be ranked either great, satisfactory, or poor. If the students get either poor or satisfactory, I will ask them to practice saying the sentences with expression and then come say them again to me.

References:
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/chall/chancegf.html ãLetâs Express Ourselves!ä by   Ann Chance.
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/chall/prestongf.html ãItâs Fun to be Fluentä by Kelli Preston.

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