Year 3 English: Preparing a poem to read aloud
Part of the Year 3 English reading poetry and plays chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Preparing a poem to read aloud
When you perform a poem, your voice and body help the listener follow its meaning. Four things help you:
Pauses: stop for a moment at the end of a line, and for longer at the end of a stanza or a full stop.
Tone: the feeling in your voice, such as calm, happy or sad.
Volume: how loud or how quiet your voice is.
Intonation: how your voice goes up and down as you speak.
Plan on paper before you perform. Use one slash (/) for a short pause, and two slashes (//) for a longer pause. Write the tone, and an action, in the margin.
Read The Harbour at Dusk, then answer the questions in exercise 8E.
The Harbour at Dusk
1The sun sinks low above the bay,
2and fishing boats sail slowly past.
3The gulls grow quiet, and the day
4folds up its gold, and fades at last.
5Each lamp becomes a golden star
6that shimmers on the water deep.
7The harbour bell rings soft and far,
8and all the boats are fast asleep.
Key ideas
- A performance uses pauses, tone, volume and intonation.
- Pause at the end of each line, and for longer at the end of a stanza.
- Choose a tone that matches the words, such as soft and calm for a quiet evening.
- An action is a movement or gesture that matches a line.
- Read the poem through at least twice before you perform it.
Method. Find the end of the stanza, and mark the longest pause there.
- Find the end of stanza 1. A stanza ends where the next group of lines begins.stanza 1 ends at line 4
- Mark the longest pause. A longer pause shows the change to a new stanza.line 4: //
- Write the answer. At the end of line 4.
Check. Line 4 ends with last. The next line begins a new stanza. ✓
Watch out. Do not make the pause at the end of line 4 the same length as the one at the end of line 2.
Method. Read the words in the line and think about the feeling they give.
- Read the words. Soft and far suggest a gentle sound, a long way away.soft and far
- Choose a tone that matches. A quiet, calm tone fits a soft, distant bell.calm and quiet
- Write the answer. calm and quiet
Check. The tone matches the soft, distant sound. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: gentle, soft.
Method. Choose a movement that matches the words of the line.
- Find the image. The lamp becomes a star, so the action can show something rising and shining.lamp becomes a star
- Plan the movement. Lift one hand slowly above your head, like a star rising.lift one hand slowly
- Write the answer. Lift one hand slowly above your head.
Check. The action links with the image of the star. ✓
Watch out. An action should help the listener see the line. It should not distract from the words.
Watch out
Watch out: do not read every line at the same speed and volume. Vary your tone and pauses so they match the meaning.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read one stanza twice: once softly, and once with a clear voice. Ask them where they paused, and which word they said softly.
Exercise 8E Practice: preparing a poem to read aloud
Method. Think about how a voice can show a feeling.
- Think about the voice. Tone is the feeling in your voice when you read.feeling in the voice
- Name some tones. Happy, sad and calm are all tones.happy, sad, calm
- Write the answer. The feeling or mood in your voice, such as happy, sad or calm.
Check. Tone shows feeling. ✓
Watch out. Tone is not the same as volume. Volume is how loud or quiet you are.
Method. Think about how loud your voice is.
- Think about the sound. Volume is how loud or how quiet your voice is.loud or quiet
- Write the answer. How loud or quiet your voice is.
Check. Volume is about loudness. ✓
Method. Find line 2, then the word that describes how the boats move.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: line 2.line 2
- Find the words that answer it. The text says:sail slowly past
- Write the answer. slowly
Check. Slowly tells you how to read. ✓
Method. Find the end of the last stanza.
- Find the last line. Stanza 2 ends at the last line of the poem, which is line 8.line 8
- Mark the pause. The end of the poem gets the longest pause.a longer pause
- Write the answer. At the end of line 8.
Check. Line 8 ends the poem. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: after and asleep, at the end of the poem.
Method. Think about the shape of the voice.
- Think about the voice. Intonation is the rise and fall of your voice.rise and fall
- Write the answer. The way your voice goes up and down as you speak.
Check. Intonation is the pattern of the voice. ✓
Method. Look at the plan rules in the text above.
- Find the rule. One slash is a short pause, and two slashes are a longer pause.one slash = short pause
- Write the answer. A short pause.
Check. Two slashes would be a longer pause. ✓
Method. Choose a word that carries the picture of the poem.
- Choose the word. Gold is the bright colour of the sky as the day ends.gold
- Give the reason. Saying it strongly makes the picture of the sky brighter for the listener.brighter picture
- Write the answer. Accept any word with a clear reason, for example: gold, because it is the bright colour of the sky at sunset.
Check. Any word with a clear reason about the picture is correct. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: last, if you explain why it matters at the end.
(a) calm (b) angry (c) excited
Method. Read the words of the line and think about the feeling they give.
- Read the words. The sun sinks low, which is slow and quiet.sinks low
- Test each tone. Angry and excited do not fit a slow, quiet sunset.(b) and (c) do not fit
- Choose the tone that fits. Calm fits a slow, quiet sunset.(a) calm
- Write the answer. (a) calm
Check. A slow sunset is calm. ✓
(a) loudly and fast (b) soft and slow (c) angry and sharp
Method. Match the way of reading to the words of the line.
- Read the line. The harbour bell rings soft and far.soft and far
- Test each way. Loudly and fast, and angry and sharp, do not fit soft and far.(a) and (c) do not fit
- Choose the best way. A soft, slow reading fits a bell that is far away.(b) soft and slow
- Write the answer. (b) soft and slow
Check. The soft sound of a far bell is read softly and slowly. ✓
Method. Choose a movement that matches sleep.
- Think about the picture. The boats are asleep, so the action can show rest and stillness.asleep
- Plan the action. Resting your head on your hands is a quiet action that matches the line.rest your head
- Write the answer. Accept any action that matches the line, for example: rest your head on your hands and close your eyes.
Check. The action matches the sleeping boats. ✓
Watch out. Also accept any gentle, still movement.
Method. Think about what a stanza does for the reader.
- Think about the stanza. A stanza is a group of lines, and the next one begins a new idea or picture.a new group
- Give the reason. A longer pause gives the listener time to think before the next group of lines.time to think
- Write the answer. Accept any reason, for example: to show the change to a new group of lines, and to give the listener time to think.
Check. Pausing marks the change between groups of lines. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: to show the reader that a new part begins.
Method. Make one choice for each part of the plan, and link it to the words.
- Choose the pause. A short pause after line 2 gives the listener time to picture the boats.after line 2
- Choose the tone and action. A calm tone fits the sun sinking low, and lowering your hand shows the sun going down.calm; lower your hand
- Write the answer. Accept any plan with one pause, one tone and one action, each linked to the words of the poem, for example: a pause after line 2; a calm tone for "The sun sinks low"; lower your hand slowly as the sun sinks.
Check. Each choice links to a line of the poem. ✓
Watch out. Also accept any other plan that uses the same three parts, linked to the poem.