Lesson Plan for Reading with Expression

Created By: Lindsey Furgal (11/17/13)

Benchmarks/English Language Arts Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4b Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate
rate, and expression on successive readings.

Objectives:
-Students will be able to pay close attention to punctuation in text, in order to help them
read with expression.

Anticipatory Set:
-Gather the students on the carpet at the front of the classroom, so that they can all see the
SMART Board. Read the Fire Drill poem to the class, (display the poem on the document
camera while you are reading it). Be sure not to read the poem with any expression in your
voice. When finished reading the poem, ask the children the following questions for TPS
(think pair share with partners):
-Did I do a good job of reading the poem with expression?
-Did I do a good job of paying attention to the punctuation while I was reading
the poem? (Pausing, stopping, raising or lowering my pitch--the high and low
sounds in my voice)
- What could I have done differently while reading, to make the poem sound
better?
-Give students a moment to think and then have them turn to their partner and share what
they think. After a minute or so have individual students share with the class about how
they think you could have done a better job of reading the poem, to make it sound better.
(You can pick sticks to call on students).

Direct Instruction:
1. After reading the poem to the class and having a class discussion about how the teacher
could have read it better, explain to the students the importance of learning how to read
expressively. Explain to the students that in order to show that they understand what they
are reading, they need to be able to read expressively, paying close attention to the
punctuation in the text. The punctuation tells the reader what they need to know about how
to express the words, phrases, and sentences with the right pauses, stops and pitch changes.
2. Teach the students (and model to them) the important elements of reading expressively:
-pausing: means we take a breath and keep reading (look for commas in the text)
-stopping: means we quit reading for a moment, like this (Look for periods in
the text)
-raising or lowering voice pitch: pitch is how high or low the sounds are that we
make with our voices (demonstrate high and low pitch)--(look for exclamation
points or capital letters in the text!)
3. Next, tell the class that you are going to re-read the poem using good expression, by
paying close attention to the punctuation and the way the words are written in the text (so
you know when to pause, stop, raise or lower your pitch, etc.). Tell the students to look at


the poem on the board, (switch the original poem out for the marked-up/highlighted
version), explain to them that the new poem has been highlighted in different spots, to mark
punctuation marks and other spots that require a change of expression in the readers voice.
Ask the class to follow along with their eyes, while you read the poem. Tell them to listen
carefully to see if you stop, pause, or change your pitch where you should. Read the poem
with appropriate expression.
4. After you are finished reading the poem, ask the class to rate you on how well you read
with expression. (Use thumbs up/down, or sideways, for good/bad, so-so). Ask students to
give examples of places in the poem that you read with good expression. Have students
offer suggestions for places where you could have used better expression. Conduct a class
discussion.
5. When finished discussing, explain to the class that you are going to put a new poem up
on the board so that you can practice reading expressively all together. Clarify that you will
be using echo reading to do so. Ask the class if they have ever heard of echo reading.
Explain and demonstrate echo reading to the class:
- When I say something, you will be my echo and repeat whatever I say, together
as a class. Like this: HELLO (point to them for them to say HELLO back).
Next tell them that you will begin reading the poem with expression, and they will need to
echo your voice exactly, changing pitch, pausing, or stopping where you do.
6. Echo read Eletelephony poem together as a class, using appropriate expression while
reading.
7. When finished echo reading the poem together, ask the students to remind you of what
good readers, who read with expression do.
-Be sure students mention that reading with expression looks like pausing or
stopping at commas and periods, changing pitch to high or low (depending on
punctuation and the way the words are written in the text).
8. When finished with class discussion, explain to the class that they will have about 10
minutes to practice reading with expression to a partner. Dismiss the class by pairing them
up into partners, while explaining to them that they will need to go get their book boxes and
find a quiet spot around the room where they will be able to sit and practice reading with
expression to each other. Tell them that you will be walking around to observe them to see
if they are reading expressively. Before sending the kids away, remind them that it is
important to be good reading coaches to one another, which means that they give the reader
appropriate time to try and sound out words they dont know before just telling them what
the words are. Also to make sure students are practicing what they just learned about
expressive reading. Be sure to remind them about using a whisper voice so that all partners
can hear each other reading.
9. Pair up students and allow them about 10 minutes for cooperative learning to practice
reading expressively. Walk around the room and observe each student reading to be sure
they are paying attention to punctuation and adjusting their expression appropriately.
(*Formatively assess each student at this time).
10. After 10 minutes is up and you have had a chance to assess each student on their
reading fluency, call their attention back to you (1,2,3...eyes on me!) and ask them to return
to their seats to continue practicing the skills they just learned. Tell them that they will have
10 (or more) additional minutes to silent read. Use this time to work one-on-one with
specific students who need additional guidance or instruction on this skill, (refer to notes


made during observation/formative assessment of cooperative learning).

Checking Understanding:
-While talking to the class about the importance of reading with expression and while
reading the poems to the class and as a whole-group, make a mental note of which children
are paying close attention, as well as those who are actively participating and engaging
with one another during TPS and class discussions.
-While students are working with one another during cooperative learning (partner
reading), scan the class to see if the students are working quietly, cooperatively, and
reading with expression. Walk around the class and make note of which students are
practicing their reading fluency (expressive reading).

*Record observations of formative assessments made during lesson instruction,
cooperative learning and individual practice, in your own writing assessment book.*

Guided Practice:
-Assess if students are ready to practice reading with expression with partners, after
reading the poem out loud as a class, (echo reading).
-Assess whether the students are able to tell you what good, expressive readers do, (when
you ask them to remind you in step 7). If you are still unsure, survey the students using the
thumbs up/ thumbs down approach to see if they are understanding the newly learned
fluency strategy.
-If and when students appear ready for further practice of this strategy, allow them to work
with partners on this skill.
-If students are still not understanding this newly taught strategy, go back and re-teach the
concept using a picture book. Have students echo read each page with you, (this way you
can assess which students are able to read with expression and which need additional
one-on-one instruction).

Closure:
-After teacher has modeled the strategy, allowed students to have guided practice of
expressive reading and then gave them time to work cooperatively in pairs to practice this
skill, teacher will then let students practice strategy on their own, (and this will also allow
for additional one-on-one instruction between teacher and student, with needed).

Independent Practice:
-Through cooperative learning and independent practice reading with expression, students
will be able understand the importance of this newly learned reading strategy and overall
become better, fluent readers. Explain to the class that the independent portion of this
lesson is a time for them to be working quietly on their own, and/or ask questions to the
teachers, (clarify any confusion they may be having).

Lesson Extension (Added practice):
-For continued practice on this specific reading strategy, the teacher could choose a new
poem or childrens book and go through each of the direct instruction steps of this lesson
again. The teacher could have the students listen to them read with expression, (while


displaying the text on the overhead, so students can see where it is necessary for reader to
change their expression), or the teacher could have the class actively participate reading
with expression by doing more echo reading as a whole group.

Materials Needed:
-The Poem: Fire Drill, From The Big Book of Classroom Poems -unmarked
-The Poem: Fire Drill, From The Big Book of Classroom Poems -highlighted
-The Poem: Eletelephony, From Storyit.com
-student individual book boxes