Expression in reading - help!

[bookbag40]

DS Year 2 is a good reader, loves reading in his head and has good comprehension.

However teacher has said he can't move up on his reading until he has good expression and intonation. We are really struggling with this as he is a very shy boy not given to showing off or being dramatic and he struggles to read well out loud.

I don't really know what to do to help. We read everyday and I get him to practise saying the words with feeling but he is way too shy to do this when he reads with the teacher and says he feels embarrassed. I also read to him every day and model expression but again it seem to have no effect.

Is this really so important? Its frustrating as I don't think he is ever going to be great at reading out loud but then really as he gets older he is never going to have to read out loud is he and it's a shame that although he is a good reader this is holding him back.

i don't see reading with expression as being dramatic or showing off , where has he got that idea from? Sounds like a confidence issue, can you do some vocal phased confidence boosting activities with him? Would he join a drama group, our local one is all about confidence and team work not at all about showing off, they have lots of nervous shy children who make great progress. Like any other skill it takes practice, it's a shame he seems so nervous at reading put loud. I think the teacher is right to want him to crack this before he moves on

well, having endured 13 ORT books in sucession read in a dreary monotone...

I started by asking him to think how the characters would say things...

can't day it has got much better.

Try him with a book with several different characters, or a play-script where he can take different voices or accents.

A BRILLIANT book I think is Anne Fine's "Diary of a Killer Cat", in which the cat tells the story, and the children and adults are minor characters. It is hilariously funny, and there is a super 'twist' to it. You may need to help him with some of the words, and you can take the cats part, and DS can do the human voices, to start with.

If his reading is competent, I don't think it matters too much at this stage about expression and 'acting'; it may come as he matures and gets more confident.

When DS' teacher first mentioned expression, we suggested to him that he read a sentence through in his head before he says it - that made an immediate difference for him. Also particularly with people saying things, if he reads it tonelessly we sometimes ask him to repeat it the way he thinks the character might say it.

I don't think they're expecting big drama, just a bit of shape to the sentences. I think if you make it a matter of fact requirement of reading, your DS will stop feeling it's an embarrassing thing and just do it.

Perhaps you could negotiate a couple of pages read properly out loud and in exchange he can read the rest of the book in his head?

Reading out loud is a different skill to reading to themselves.

Show him how it is done by reading to him.

Read the same sentence twice, once with no expression & once with expression. Talk about which one sounds more interesting.

Tell him to imagine he is reading a book to his family out loud that you don't know the story & he has to make it as interesting as possible.

Just consider that once he has got through the early stages of learning to read he's not likely to be reading aloud to anyone and no-one will care at all about his 'expression' or lack of it (except maybe his future children when he's reading to them ) .

You say he is comprehending what he is reading, so he is fine...it seems a bit odd that his teacher should be equating reading with no expression with lack of comprehension.

When I was at Grammar school, many, many years ago, we had to read Shakespeare round the class and I can assure you that some of the most intelligent girls in our year read like zombies...

Agree with simpson, you need to demonstrate it. It's worked for me and my Year 1. Comics are also good, along with plays.

Another suggestion is audio books with paper copies, so he can see and hear how the content is expressed.

Is it a question of he can but won't, or is it something he is really struggling to do at all?

I also read to him every day and model expression but again it seem to have no effect.

If he can but won't, then instead of reading to him with expression try the opposite - read to him with a really dull monotone voice and see how long he can bear for you to read to him like that. I do this with DD on occasion when she's feeling lazy about expression and it really makes her giggle but also makes the point too.

If he really struggles to do it at all then just start with a short phrase or even one word and get him to say it in as may different ways he can. So let's say 'hello', can he say it in a happy way, a sad way, an angry way, a curious way etc?

He needs to understand both the value of reading with expression and also discover the mechanics of intonation ... unless he doesn't mind being stuck on the same book band ad infinitum?

One other option is that you record him doing it at home and request his teacher listens - at least he or she will know your DS can and perhaps let him move up the book bands even though he doesn't like 'performing' for him/her.

It may help if he sees men reading stories:

e.g. James McAvoy: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0513nh5/cbeebies-bedtime-stories-481-wee-grannys-magic-bag

Frank Skinner: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xs14m

Sir Derek Jacobi: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ynj99

Lenny Henry:

Now it may not seem like these people are reading - but they are - they're reading a prompt screen or they've memorised the words - but the point is they are reading/ telling the stories with funny voices, emphasis and with the intent of interesting the listener.

HTH

just a suggestion, but wegot teddies to "act" the characters' parts and made up a voice for each. Sillier the better. It got overthe initial nerves.