Year 1 Reading - How to encourage expression....

[howtocalmachild]

Hi all,

I just wondered if you could offer some advice please? I have a year 3 and year 1 child. The year 3 reads ok and I think that year 1 is doing a bit better than ok. The thing is that the year 3 child came to phonics later as a result of moving from a school that didn't teach phonics. There was a quick catch up during year 2 and we didn't do that much reading to her and were just working to catch up - lots of school ORT books (now realise that wasn't the best plan). Now my year 1 child has basic phonics knowledge and a good bank of sight words. I'd say both of my kids need to gain more expression. I am now making sure I read to them more and reading as I would want them to. Is there anything else I can do to help with expression. Asking for expression when they'd rather be playing etc than reading to us is also another challenge!

Thanks in advance.

Take it in turns to read, page and page about. If they have just heard you read with expression they are more likely to mimic/follow. Also practice reading with expression using texts that are very easy for them to read/decode. If they are using lots of brainpower on deciphering the actual words, they won't be able to focus on meaning/expression so easily.

You might want to try with well-loved picture books tha are easy enough for them to read?

Point out exclamation marks and question marks at the end of speech and discuss how that should make the sentence should sound when you read it. Also elipses (...) and text in bold print. These are just some of the sort of things we do with guided reading in school.

Read to your children with lots of expresion yourself. Make it fun. Prehaps take turns. Read library books rather than school books.

Choose books with characters who might have easy voices to 'do'....a grumpy old man, a tiny fairy, a growly lion, etc etc. Then take parts: let them choose a character to read out, while you do the narration/other parts - keep it easy and fun.

dd1 now in Y3 is a hugely entertaining reader as a result of our messing about with voices in Y1 & 2