Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Listening, Speaking and Word Power

Reading Aloud with Expression: Scripts, Speeches, Poems and Reports

B2.3 B1.4 A1.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can use intonation, stress, volume, pace and pauses when I read aloud.
  • I can adjust my expression to fit the purpose: a script, a speech, a poem, a news report or instructions.
  • I can mark up a text to plan how I'll read it aloud.
  • I can read a script by following speaker names and stage directions.

Words to know

intonation
The rise and fall of your voice when you speak or read aloud.
stress
Saying a word or syllable with extra force so it stands out.
tone
The feeling your voice shows, like excited, serious or worried.
script
A text written for actors, with speaker names and stage directions.
stage directions
Instructions in a script, often in brackets or italics, that tell actors what to do. They aren't read aloud.

Remember from Grade 5

In Grade 5 you adjusted your intonation for different purposes, and used clues like ellipses, dashes, italics, capital letters and dialogue tags to choose your expression. In Grade 6 you'll plan your expression by marking up a text, and practise reading aloud scripts, speeches, poems and reports for an audience.

Let's start with a puzzle

Say the word "Really" in four ways:

  1. As a question, because you're surprised: Really? (voice goes up)
  2. As if you're annoyed: Really. (voice goes down, flat)
  3. As if you're excited: REALLY! (louder, voice jumps up)
  4. As if you don't believe someone: Reeeally? (slow and stretched)

Same word, four meanings! The difference is your intonation, stress, volume and pace.

Really?surprisedvoice goes upReally.annoyeddown and flatREALLY!excitedloud, jumps upReeeally?doubtfulslow, stretched
The line under each word shows the intonation (how the voice rises and falls). Same word, four meanings.
Voice toolWhat it isExample
IntonationYour voice rising or fallingOften rises at the end of a yes-or-no question: Is it snowing?
StressExtra force on a wordI said Tuesday, not Thursday.
VolumeHow loud or softSofter for a secret; louder for a big announcement
PaceHow fast or slowSlower for important facts; quicker for exciting action
PauseA short stopBefore a surprise, or after a big idea
ToneThe feeling in your voiceSerious, cheerful, worried, proud
Six tools you can mix and match.

Matching expression to purpose

  • Script (readers' theatre): each character has their own voice. Read the line after the speaker's name. Don't read stage directions aloud, but use them: (whispering) tells you to read softly.
  • Speech (to persuade): a confident tone, stress on key words, pauses after important points, eyes up toward the audience.
  • Poem: follow the punctuation, not the end of each line. If a line has no punctuation at the end, keep going into the next line. Let the rhythm and feeling guide you.
  • News report (to inform): clear, steady and calm, with a neutral tone. Slow down for names, numbers and dates.
  • Instructions: slow and clear, with a pause between steps.

Marking up a text

Before reading aloud, plan your expression with marks:

  • / short pause; // long pause
  • underline a word to stress it
  • ↗ voice rises; ↘ voice falls
  • notes in the margin: excited, softer, slow down

Then practise until it sounds natural, like talking, not like reading.

Is the rink open today?voice risesThe rink is open today.voice fallsyes/no questions often rise; statements fall
Two sentences with arrows: the question 'Is the rink open today?' with the voice rising at the end, and the statement 'The rink is open today.' with the voice falling.
Worked example

Let's mark up a readers' theatre script

NARRATOR: The power went out during the storm.

MAYA: (whispering) Did you hear that?

LEO: It's just the wind. Probably.

MAYA: (louder) Then why is the door opening?

  1. Speaker names come before each line. Read only the words after the name. Don't say "Maya" aloud.
  2. NARRATOR: calm, steady tone, like a storyteller. A short pause after went out builds the mood.
  3. MAYA (whispering): the stage direction isn't read aloud; it tells Maya to read softly. The question rises ↗ at the end.
  4. LEO: confident on It's just the wind. Then a pause (/) before Probably., said slowly, to show he's not sure.
  5. MAYA (louder): stress door, and let the voice rise ↗ with worry on the question.

Marked script: The power went out / during the storm. | (soft) Did you hear that? ↗ | It's just the wind. / Probably. | (louder) Then why is the door opening? ↗

Worked example

Let's read a poem by its punctuation

The snow falls soft on the sleeping town and covers every roof and street. By morning, all is white and still.

  1. Line 1 has no punctuation at the end, so don't stop. Keep going into line 2.
  2. Line 2 ends with a period: pause there.
  3. Line 3 has a comma after By morning: a tiny pause. It ends with a period: a longer pause.
  4. Tone: quiet and calm, to match a peaceful snowy night. A slow pace.

Read: The snow falls soft on the sleeping town and covers every roof and street. // By morning, / all is white and still. //

Rehearse three times

1st read: understand it. 2nd read: mark it up. 3rd read: perform it. Then ask a listener: "Did my voice match the meaning?"

Just for fun

Joke: What did the poem say to the reader who stopped at the end of every single line?

"Keep going... I'm not... finished... yet!" (Follow the punctuation, not the line breaks.)

Hands-on activity

Family readers' theatre

You need: a short scene from a book with dialogue (or the storm script above), a pencil, and family members to be characters and audience.

  1. Choose or write a scene with 2 to 4 characters and a narrator (about 10 to 16 lines).
  2. Copy it as a script: speaker name, then the line. Add stage directions in brackets.
  3. Mark up your lines with /, //, underlines and ↗ ↘ arrows.
  4. Rehearse three times, then perform for the family.
  5. Bonus: Read a short news story aloud in a calm "news anchor" voice, then read a poem with a gentle tone. Ask your audience to describe how your voice changed.

What to look for: stage directions used but not read aloud, different voices for different characters, pauses at punctuation, and a tone that matches each text.

Your turn

1

What is intonation?

2

Should you read stage directions aloud in a script?

3

How should you read a news report aloud?

4

Mark the stress to show a contrast: I wanted the red mitts, not the blue ones.

5

A line of a poem has no punctuation at the end. What should you do?

6

What do the marks / and // mean when you mark up a text?

7

Your voice often rises at the end of which kind of question: Is it snowing? or Where is my toque?

More practice: warm-up

1

What is a script?

2

Name three voice tools.

3

What tone fits a persuasive speech?

4

What does an underlined word in a marked-up text mean?

5

How many times should you rehearse before performing?

More practice: on your own

1

Mark up this speech line for a persuasive talk: We can save energy. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

2

Explain how you would read: COACH: (shouting from the bench) Skate faster!

3

Why should a poem be read by its punctuation instead of stopping at every line end?

4

Read "We won." with two different tones. Describe each.

5

How would your reading of instructions for a fire drill differ from your reading of a funny story?

Challenge

1

Mark up this poem for reading aloud and explain your marks:

The geese call out across the sky, the leaves let go and drift on by. Goodbye, summer. Goodbye.

2

Explain how intonation can change the meaning of "You're going to the hockey game."

3

You're the narrator in a readers' theatre about a storm. Plan three choices for your voice and explain each.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What is intonation?

2.

What should you do with stage directions like (whispering)?

3.

Which tone best fits a news report?

4.

In a marked-up text, // means...

5.

A poem's line has no punctuation at the end. You should...

6.

To persuade an audience in a speech, you should...

For parents and teachers

Big idea (B2.3, B1.4, A1.2): Grade 6 students adjust expression and intonation when reading aloud according to the purpose of reading. Readers' theatre, speeches and poems build confidence and voice (A1.2). (Using colons to show a new speaker in script dialogue is practised in the companion Foundations of Writing unit.)

How to help at home:

  • Do readers' theatre with a picture book or chapter book; take different parts.
  • Read a poem aloud together and talk about where to pause.
  • Record your child reading and listen back together: Does the voice match the meaning?

Common difficulties:

  • Reading stage directions or speaker names aloud. Practise with a highlighter for the child's own lines.
  • Stopping at the end of every poem line. Trace the punctuation with a finger.
  • One flat voice for every text. Try the "Really?" warm-up before reading.