Express
Yourself!
Growing Independence and
Fluency
Melissa Roddam
Rationale:
When students become more
fluent readers, it is important for them to read with
expression. Reading with expressions makes reading more fun
for the listener as well as the reader. This lesson will help
students read aloud with expression through practice by monitoring
their changes in volume, speed, and pitch of their voices.
Review:
Tell the students to use cross checking (quick review) If they come to
a word they are unfamiliar with, they should read the rest of the
sentence. If they need to change it, then thatâs okay. Have
students reread the sentence once they figure out the word.
Remember- modeling works well!
Materials:
á
The Way I
Feel by Janan Cain
á
Multiple copies
of
When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really, Angry· by: Molly
Bang (depending on reading level)
á
Sentence strips
á
Spaghetti
by Shel Silverstein
Procedure:
- Begin
by asking students if they have ever heard a good story teller. "Why
do you think he/she was a good story teller?" "Oh, because he/she
read with emotions?" "What are emotions?" "The way you
feel·happy, sad, anxious, angry, and excited." "Well, today we
are going to learn how to become better story tellers."
- "First,
I am going to read Spaghetti by Shel Silverstein to you with
out any emotion or expression." "When I finish raise your hand
and tell me if you enjoyed it or not." (Read story monotone and get
feedback from students.) "Boring?" "I thought so
too." "Okay, I am going to read it with expression." (read
poem) "What did you think about the poem that time?"
- "What
did you notice when I was reading the poem the second time?" "Did
anyone notice the changes in my voice?" "Well, to read with
expression all you have to do read faster, read slower, or change your
voice." "For example, if I were to say 'I won first
place!'" "Did you hear how high and soft my voice was?"
"Letâs try another." "Go to your room!" "What emotion do
you think that expresses?" "Right, angry!"
- "Now I am going
to hold up a sentence strip." "I want each of you to read it
silently and determine what emotion should be felt." "Then, I
want a volunteer to read it to the class using expression."
"Can I go outside and play?"
"Stop right there!"
"I was home alone, and I heard footsteps in the other room."
"I won!"
- Read The
Way I Feel by Janan Cain aloud to the class. Use expressions.
- Pass
out copies of When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry· to
each student. (depending on reading level) This book is about
Sophie who is having a bad day and gets very angry and runs out of her
house to get away. "Read this book silently to
yourself." "Notice the different emotions." Remind them
if they have trouble decoding a word that they should cover up part of
the word and sound it out and then cover up the other part of the word
and sound out what is left. Then, tell them to say the sounds
together, blend it.
- Divide
the students into pairs so each will have a partner. Using the
same book, have one student listen as his partner reads the
story. Have the listener make notes of when he heard examples of
good expression. (Give the children practice first) Then, the
partners switch roles. After they finish reading the students
will talk about the notes they took and point out good examples of
expressions the other used
Assessment:
Walk around the
room and listen to the children read. Take notes of when you
noticed good expression. Take note of the students who are
struggling and read one on with them later. Practice makes
perfect!
References:
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/discov/hillgf.html
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/elucid/kstarrgf.html
Bang,
Molly.
When Sophie Gets Angry- Really, Really Angry·Scholastic Inc.
New York: NY (1999).
Cain,
Janan.
The Way I Feel. Scholastic Inc. New York: NY (2000).
Silverstein,
Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends: Spaghetti. Harper Collins (2002)
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