Reading 'The Children of Lir' with expression
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use different strategies to read with expression.
Key learning points
- Adjectives that describe how someone is feeling help to read speech with expression.
- Adverbs may describe how a character has said something.
- Taking note of punctuation allows us to read with expression and communicate meaning.
- Using different types of voice and different tones makes reading aloud more interesting for those who are listening.
- You must decode and understand words to be able to add expression.
Keywords
Expression - reading with feelings and emotion to bring the story to life
Adjective - a word that describes a noun
Verb - a doing or being word
Adverb - a word that describes a verb
Common misconception
Pupils may think reading with expression is purely about volume.
Model reading words, phrases or sentences with and without expression and varying volume, pitch and speed. Then model your thought process about why you read it that way.
Teacher tip
During tasks, all pupils should be actively reading either independently or in a pair. Move yourself around the pupils to listen in to their reading. Choose children to model their reading aloud (a sentence or paragraph) in front of the class and celebrate what they were doing well.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2011 Oxford University Press edition of ‘The Children of Lir’ by Maire Buonocore and Isabelle Arsenault for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these words are adjectives?
Q2.Identify the verb in this sentence: The black dog barks at night.
Q3.Match the following:
a word that describes a noun
a naming word for people, places and things
a doing or being word
describes a verb
Q4.Match these words to their word type:
verb
adverb
adjective
Q5.Which adjective best describes the Queen in the story of 'The Children of Lir'?
Q6.Using phonics strategies when reading can help to unfamiliar words.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Order these events from the story 'The Children of Lir'.
Q2.Complete this sentence: Reading with expression...
Q3.Match the word to the word class.
verb
adverb
adjective
Q4.Match the word to the expression you might add.
shout the words loudly and angrily
speak slowly to show tiredness
say the words in a fast voice
Q5.Match the word to its meaning.
changed
a person who lives alone and away from others
a woodwind instrument
Q6.If you stop to decode a word, it is a good idea to the whole sentence afterwards to check it makes sense.
To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Reading 'The Children of Lir' with expression, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Reading 'The Children of Lir' with expression, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 English lessons from the 'The Children of Lir': reading unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.