DD's teacher wants her to read "with expression". AIBU to think this is counter-productive?

[Toadinthehole]

DD is in her fourth year of school. The teachers say she is shy. Over all, she appears to be middle-of-the-road academically. Her best subject is reading and she has been above average with reasonably good vocabulary and good comprehension skills ever since she started school.

Her reading homework constitutes about 15-20 minutes reading out loud either to me or DW each evening. For a long time she has tended to read in a monotone. I've not really minded too much, as long as her articulation is clear.

However, DW and the school do mind very much, so it seems. It has turned up on her reports again and again that she doesn't read "with expression". It seems that it has become a bit of a battleground as, although she reads a good deal to herself, she doesn't like reading out loud at all. In fact, I'd say her articulation is worse than it was two years ago. When it is my turn to be read to, I can now hardly understand what she says because she runs words together. My view is that she simply hates reading out loud, and my asking her to repeat something doesn't help ease the pain.

I raised this concern with her teacher last year, but nothing seems to have improved. Her reading remains above average, but she's probably slipping back, comparatively.

AIBU to think everyone should back right off on the "expression" front until her confidence returns?

YANBU. I hated reading out loud in school (and still do). I think it is something that comes in its own time. 15 mins sounds v stressful for her.

No advice but as a book lover/reading out loud hater, totally agree.

short bursts would be better cant you get her some comic strip books? plenty of opportunity for expression there personally im pretty sure teachers only want expression in reading because listening to 30 children read in a montone is horrendous (i used to be a school reader)

Reading with expression is important to show comprehension.

Why don't you get some scripts to read with her to make it fun rather than making it a problem?

Expression indicates comprehension- she's understood what was a question/anger/sadness and is putting the commas in the right places.

Start with that and worry about dramatic reading later!

Do you model 'reading with expression' to her?

Sorry cross posts!

I also considered suggesting scripts!!

She does not have read reading books to you. Find other things she can read to you. The TV guide . What the shows are about.
Things of the net rent. Anything really.

I was painfully shy at school and I don't think it's a reason for reading in a monotone.

As has been said, reading with expression shows comprehension, rather than just reading each individual word as being pear ate to the others. If you are reading in a monotone you are just reading a list of words, not a story.

Stage phobia? I had that at school. I was good at writing, but the teacher would read it for me. At university we had public speaking class, it helped me to overcome stage phobia.

What the others have said about it showing comprehension.

I think working on confidence to talk out loud is also important and with that needs to come the expression and things not simply saying the words.

YANBU. Could there perhaps be other reasons that she reads in a monotone?

I read out loud in a monotone because I have to put my finger under each word - not because I am a slow reader, but because I am a speed reader and lose my place. If I have to read out loud, I am concentrating so hard on not fucking up that I end up with a really monotone and slow delivery. If I don't fix my attention on individual words, I skip all over the place, lose track of where I am and also lose track of what I'm trying to say. If I ever have to speak in public, I draw pictures and highlight words rather than read out a speech line by line (which I cannot do).

When you ask her, what does she say for the reasons she can't read out loud expressively? Is it that she feels shy, or has she got any other issues with it? Do you reckon she's comprehending what she reads, or is that a worry? The most important thing, and what's probably concerning the teachers, is that she understands what she's saying. A child reading in a monotone means that they can read the words, but the teacher doesn't know if they know what the words mean.

The best way to check this is to be interactive. Don't make it a performance. The child reads out (in monotone) a passage where Timmy is angry (or whatevs). You stop her and say "Wow! Timmy was really pissed off [er, or more suitable words]. What do you reckon annoyed him so much? The policeman? Yeah, totally. What would you say if you were Timmy?" In other words, engage her with the text - make her think about what she is reading and if there are no SEN, it will come.

What about playing some games like reading the sentence in different moods - how would a sad/angry/happy person say it. Or reading a sentence over again but each time putting the emphasis a different word to alter the sense of it.

woowoo22 I am so with you. As a child I devoured books and in my sixties I still do, but I was and am crap at reading out loud. I speak too fast because I get bored at having to go at a speed at which others can follow. Teachers should play to srengths, not weaknesses - the child will get by even if she cannot read out loud "expressively".

Being able to read out loud with expression is a precursor to public speaking, which is a key skill in the modern age.

Don't undermine your child's schoolteachers' standards - they are important.

Reading with expression ime requires familiarity with the text being read. I remember the problem I had at school was because I was struggling to be fluent, and that meant expression went "out the window". But once I knew the words, then the expressiveness could be added after.

It needs to be done in a stepwise approach, so firstly, getting your DD to read and reread a passage she enjoys. Then leave it for a day, and reread again, each time starting to put emphasis on key words and phrases, maybe if the passage has a character saying something. She probably needs some support in changing the intonation of her voice, which you or her teacher could help with, maybe demonstrating what you mean.

Also, have you thought of Amateur Dramatics for your DD. She would get loads of practice at voice intonation. She could then easily transfer those skills to reading.

Are you sure she is comprehending what she is reading?

I read too fast as a child to want to slow down, but the expression was in my head. In my case I read to my younger brother and therefore I had to do the right speed with expression.
Just have fun with her- read together and take parts- do silly voices etc- anything to take the emphasis off her just reading to you.

The new curriculum has greater emphasis on performance so yes it's important for her to progress up the 'levels'.

I work with younger children, but I am teaching them to read with expression. First the child reads the passage, so they can decode the words. Then we discuss the meaning, what characters are thinking/feeling, any punctuation. Then I read with expression and the children copy how I say it. It's a slow process, but I have noticed that they are starting to put expression in by themselves.

I do think you are being a bit UR. The fact that she hates reading out loud should be more reason to encourage her to read aloud expressively. It could turn into a bigger problem for her later on in life, not wanting to do presentations etc that could hinder her.

Deffo with Daisychain here. If there is a drama club she can join, it would be great for her. She would gain so much confidence as well as understanding vocal intonation. Both my nephew and niece have benefitted immensely from this and my nephew is off to study drama in September. He was the shyer one but is now a very popular 'can do' boy, who helps behind the scenes, etc.

Or, how about re-enacting a scene from a popular film? My friend was going to be Cinderalla's step mum in a local production at a school. I have no experience in am dram but knew enough to guide her through the bit where step mum marches into the room when Cinders and the step daughters are rowing. I talked her through the delivery and how she should move. Just a short scene may be fun.

Or write down a few sentaces of speech. Pretend you daughter is telling you about going to the cinema or a party at a friend's house. Get her to read it as it is written down, then ask her to use the same words but straight to your face, as if it had really happend. Then explain how different it was when she spoke as if it really happend. Or you do it yourself about going out somewhere and really enjoying it, and make sure you put plenty of expression in it without going over the top!!!

Not sure about the drama club idea. DD was very shy and absolutely curled up with horror at the thought of saying anything in public, and would have been utterly miserable if she had had to go to drama club. Oddly enough she sings very well and didn't mind singing in public: she says it was because she didn't feel she was exposing herself when she sang. She is now in a job which requires her to speak in public regularly and, although she is still naturally quiet, she copes fine.

Ditto the comprehension. It's not about being able to read the words, it's about being able to process them and tone indicates that this is happening and also promotes the child to actually think able what they are reading, rather than just get through the book as a task.

Yes, YABU.
It is a skill she needs to develop.
Now, I think reading outloud for 20mins is over the top, but what about getting her to read a couple of pages to you, then reading a section on her own, then getting her to tell you what's happened in the bit she read silently (therefore checking her understanding). Can finish with a short passage of reading outloud.
Also agree with others that it doesn't matter what she is reading outloud, but it's really important to develop her presentation skills.

If she is reading in a monotone she is reading without comprehension; reading aloud to one person is not the same as reading aloud to the whole class. The teacher has asked that you attempt to develop her understanding.
If she is reading in a monotone it means she is reading each word individually and concentrating on pronunciation without being able to glance ahead to place it in context, rather like reading aloud in an unfamiliar foreign language. She needs more practice, not less, as her reading is not as good as you think it is. Reading to herself means she is missing lots of words out and probably not understanding half of what she reads.

It's a skill that she will need to develop, but doesn't necessarily (although it can) indicate lack of comprehension. Can she re-tell the story? Answer and engage with questions about the text (Why does Timmy feel cross? Why do you think Karen wanted to hide?) etc? Can she predict what might happen next?

If she can do all of this confidently then maybe it is a confidence issue with reading out loud. Do you read to her a lot? bieing read to aloud daily might help her to get the idea. I like the idea of playing games, saying the sentence in a cross voice, a sad voice, an excited voice.