Expression Stories.
From FreeReading
| Activity Type: Build Fluency |
| Activity Form: Peer |
| Grade: 1, 2, 3 |
| Group Size: Individual, Pair, Small Group |
| Length: 20 minutes |
| Materials: A story to read aloud, individual copies of the story for each child, index cards with adjectives for different emotions written on them (sad, happy, mad, excited, etc.) |
| Goal: Given a story, the student will be able to read it fluently and expressively, paying attention to punctuation and responding appropriately to written emotional cues. |
| Items: A story or leveled text that students can read independently to practice fluency and expression |
What to do
- Read the story aloud to your students expressively and fluently.
- Show the students how to read the story expressing different emotions. For example, read the first paragraph happily and the next one sadly.
- Demonstrate how punctuation can affect expression. Exclamation points might indicate surprise, joy, or fear; question marks might suggest wonder, awe, or even sadness (“Why me?”).
- Give each student a copy of the text. Pair your students and have each pair choose an emotion card.
- Have your students practice reading the story while expressing the emotions described on the cards. After about ten minutes, have them read to the whole class, reminding them to let the story’s punctuation guide them.
- Observe students as they practice and present their reading. Give help to students who struggle and make a note of their efforts in an Activity Log.