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Primary English · Year 4Chapter 9 · Reading poetry and plays aloud
Year 4 English · Reading poetry and plays aloud · Lesson 9.5

Year 4 English: Reading a poem aloud with expression

Part of the Year 4 English reading poetry and plays aloud chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

9.5

Reading a poem aloud with expression

Year 4
Prepare a poem to read aloud, using tone, volume and pace (RC1f), Explain how punctuation shapes expression and the effect of a word choice (RC1g)
Story. Nia's class is performing poems for the school assembly. Nia has been given Storm Warning. Her teacher says the poem will only work if she reads the punctuation as well as the words.

Expression is how you say the words. It includes the tone (the mood, such as calm, excited or worried), the volume (how loud or quiet), the pace (how fast or slow) and the pause (a short stop). Punctuation gives you most of these clues:

MarkWhat it tells the reader to doExample from Storm Warning
!say it with energy, or with a shoutListen! Thunder roars.
?let your voice rise at the endIs it over?
.stop briefly, and let the idea landWait. The lightning stops.
...trail off, or hold a longer silenceand the wind pulls at the gate...
,take a short breath, and keep goingThe rain hammers on the windows,

Poem: Storm Warning

Listen! Thunder roars.
The rain hammers on the windows,
and the wind pulls at the gate...
Wait. The lightning stops.
Is it over?
No! Crack! It flashes again.

Key ideas

  • Punctuation tells you when to shout, pause, rise in tone or trail off.
  • An exclamation mark shows energy or a shout; a question mark makes the voice rise.
  • A full stop is a short stop; three dots mean a longer pause or a trailing voice.
  • Choose one tone, one volume and one pace for each line, and say why.
Worked example 9.5.1
What does the exclamation mark after Listen in line 1 of Storm Warning tell the reader to do?

Method. Find the mark, then decide what it means.

  1. Find the mark. Line 1 is Listen! Thunder roars.
    Listen!
  2. Name the mark. A mark that follows a word with a strong feeling is an exclamation mark.
    exclamation mark
  3. Decide the expression. It tells the reader to say the line with energy or a shout.
    energy or a shout
  4. Write the answer.
    say it with energy or a shout

Check. The mark shows a strong feeling. ✓

Worked example 9.5.2
What does the question mark in line 5 of Storm Warning tell the reader to do?

Method. Look at the mark at the end of the line.

  1. Find the line. Line 5 is Is it over?
    Is it over?
  2. Name the mark. A question mark shows that a question is being asked.
    question mark
  3. Decide the expression. The voice rises at the end of a question.
    voice rises
  4. Write the answer.
    let the voice rise at the end

Check. A question is read with a rising voice. ✓

Worked example 9.5.3
Which line ends with a comma, and what does the comma tell the reader to do?

Method. Find the line that ends with a comma.

  1. Find the comma. Line 2 ends with windows, and line 3 ends with gate...
    windows,
  2. Check line 3. Line 3 ends with three dots, not a comma.
    gate... is not a comma
  3. Decide. Line 2 is the line that ends with a comma; a comma means a short breath.
    line 2; take a short breath
  4. Write the answer.
    line 2; take a short breath

Check. The comma is at the end of line 2. ✓

Watch out. Read the question carefully: the answer is the line with a comma, which is line 2.

Watch out

Watch out: a full stop is a stop, not a rest for breath. Read Wait. The lightning stops. with a pause, then keep the tension going into the next line.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read the poem twice: once quietly, to find the marks, and once aloud, to use them. Talk about the choices, not about one correct way to read the poem.

Exercise 9E  Practice: reading with expression

1
FWhich punctuation mark follows the word Listen in line 1 of Storm Warning?
2
FWhich line of Storm Warning ends with a question mark?
3
FWhich line of Storm Warning ends with three dots? Write the line number.
4
FHow many full stops are there in the whole poem Storm Warning? Dots (...) do not count.
5
FWhat does the three dots (...) at the end of line 3 tell the reader to do?
6
FWhich word in line 2 of Storm Warning shows that the rain is loud and harsh?
7
FWhich word in line 6 of Storm Warning is a sudden, sharp sound?
8
PSWhich line of Storm Warning should be read in a whisper? Give a reason.
9
FGive the mark at the end of each line.
(a)(a) The mark after Listen in line 1
(b)(b) Line 5
(c)(c) Line 6
10
PSPlan how to read line 6 of Storm Warning. Give one tone, one volume and one pace, and say why.
11
RExplain how the punctuation of the whole poem helps a reader change expression from line to line.

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