Reading like Experts!

1. Students will begin the lesson on the carpet. The teacher will review with students how they have been learning about information books. Discuss with students that they shouldn’t just read a book once and be done with it. Instead, they should reread the book and think about how they could read the book even better like a true expert. Ask students the following question: ‘What makes a story that is being read aloud sound good?’ Have students think for a minute or two and then share their thoughts with a partner. As they are sharing with a partner, write down a few of the responses on chart paper.
2. Discuss the responses with students, and talk with students about how it is important to think about each part of the book and how it should sound when it is read. You want your voice to match the feeling that is behind the print.
3. Choose an informational text that students are familiar with. Choose a section of the book and review the section with students. Discuss with students the section and what feeling the section might have. Is it something super important? Sad? Etc. Demonstrate how to match the feelings with the words on the page. After reading the section, ask students what they thought, and if they thought you matched the feeling with the words. Choose another section in the text and do the same thing. Make sure to choose a section in the book where the feeling might change. This will allow students to see how your voice changes when the feeling in the text changes. After reading the section, discuss the difference between the way this section was read, versus the previous section.
4. Tell students that when they are rereading a book, they need to first remember what is happening in the story on that part or page, and then figure out how it should be read.
5. Have students partner up and try this with one of their own books. Each partner should have the opportunity to read a page or two and think ‘What is this part saying? What kind of feeling is occurring, and how should I voice it?’ While one is reading, the other partner should be listening and helping out. Partners should switch. They need to make sure that they are working together and rereading using new voices!
6. Bring partners back together and review with students the importance of rereading with students and to think about how it should be read.
7. Students should be sent to a designated reading spot to read books on their levels for at least 20 minutes. Once students have read for at least 20 minutes independently, students should get with a partner and read. They should practice what was taught in the whole group lesson and what they did with their partners then. The teacher should go around during this time, listening to each partnership and make note of who is able to do this and who can not. Students should be given around 10 minutes to work with their partners.
8. After reading time, students should return back to the carpet, and the teacher will share all the great things noticed while they were reading. Partnerships should be given the opportunity to share sections they read in their books like experts. Thinking about the feelings behind the print, and how it should sound.

Students who are having difficulty should be pulled to work in a small group with the teacher.

Students who have mastered the content can work independently or choose to help a classmate.

Students will be assessed through questioning that is done during the lesson. They will also be assessed through their independent, and partner reading time.