“Feeling Expressive”

By: Lori Hunter

 happy face

Rationale: Reading fluency is the ability to recognize words accurately, rapidly, and automatically. After a student has become fluent they need to learn how to read with expression. As children learn to read with expression, they become more of aware what is going on in the story and learn that reading can be fun and exciting. This lesson will help children practice reading with expression, increase vocabulary and enjoy reading.





  1. Begin by asking students questions. Boys and girls, who likes someone to read to them? I know that everyone likes to be read too. Who likes someone to read to them that read with different voices and expression? Who knows what expression is? That’s Right; it is when you change your voice loud or soft, facial expression and body movements when things happen throughout the story.
  2. Now, I am going to read to you a few sentences from the book “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day.” Is everybody ready to listen? Good, Let’s Read! (The teacher will read a few pages with no emotion or expression and in a monotone voice). Does everybody like the book, was it fun to listen? (Teacher reads story again with Expression and Emotion, deep voice if expressing sad or a really loud and happy voice for exctied) Who likes the story now? Why?
  3. The teacher explains to the student that when you read a story to someone, the person or group listening gets very into the story if you read with expression and emotions. It makes reading fun!!!
  4. Do you know what expression is? Explain to the children that when someone is sad they might have a frown or a sad face, like this picture (show a picture of a sad face). When someone is happy or excited they might be smiling, laughing, jumping up and down (show a picture of someone excited). Now, I am going to show some pictures of expression. I want you to make-up a sentence helping explain the expression. When I hold up a picture with sad faces write a sentence explaining someone sad, if I hold up a picture with happy faces explain why the picture is happy and then the rest of the pictures. Then after I (teacher) write the sentence on chart paper. Read the sentence to the class with expression. Have them repeat the sentence using expression. This will help children learn how to change their voice and expressions are there any questions?
  5. The teacher will distribute the books to the class. I want you to read the book two times through. First, time read to yourself and then get with the people at your table. I want you to talk about how you think you should read the words on each page. Then we are going to walk through the book discussing what expression you should use on each page. Then the teacher will call on some students to read a loud using expression.
  6. Now go back to your table and everyone grab a sentence stripe. Work with your table and make up a short story using expression and then we will share with the class tomorrow!
  7. I will assess the children on the expression they come up with reading “The Way I Feel” and also by the story that children make-up at their tables and how they read it to the class. The way the children use their voices. If someone is sad then there voice should be low and deep. If they are happy they might be smiling, laughing and the sound of the voice should be happy and loud.





Cain, Jana. The Way I Feel. Scholastic Inc. New York: NY (2002)


Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. Children’s Publishing Division. New York; NY (1972).