New
New
Year 2

Reading 'Yoshi the Stonecutter' with expression

I can read to the end of the traditional tale.

New
New
Year 2

Reading 'Yoshi the Stonecutter' with expression

I can read to the end of the traditional tale.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Taking note of punctuation allows us to read with expression.
  2. Different punctuation marks mean different things.
  3. Re-reading words that you have read before gives you a chance to concentrate on reading with expression.
  4. Using different types of voice and different tones makes reading aloud more interesting for those who are listening.
  5. You must decode and understand words to be able to add expression.

Keywords

  • Expression - reading with feelings and emotion to bring the story to life

  • Punctuation - marks used in writing to help make the meaning clear

  • Speech marks - punctuation marks used to enclose direct speech showing the words written or spoken by someone

  • Exclamation mark - a punctuation mark used to express strong emotion

  • Question mark - a punctuation mark used at the end of a question

Common misconception

Pupils may think reading with expression is purely about volume.

Model reading words, phrases or sentences with and without expression and varying volume, pitch and speed. Then model your thought process about why you read it that way.

During tasks, all pupils should be actively reading either independently or in a pair. Move around the pupils to listen in to their reading. Choose children to model their reading aloud (a sentence or paragraph) in front of the class and celebrate what they were doing well.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2011 Oxford University Press edition of ‘Yoshi the Stonecutter’ by Becca Heddle and Meg Hunt for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the main character in 'Yoshi the Stonecutter'?
Ravi
Correct answer: Yoshi
Yuri
Tori
Q2.
Identify the full stop.
Correct answer: .
,
!
?
Q3.
Identify the sentence that ends in a question mark.
Let's go outside.
Look at the stars!
Correct answer: What time is it?
Q4.
Identify the verb in this sentence: The cold wind blew.
The
cold
wind
Correct answer: blew
Q5.
What happens to Yoshi when he visits the "rich" person's house?
He takes a job working at the "rich" person's house.
Correct answer: He wishes to become like the "rich" person.
He meets the king.
He wishes for a new pair of shoes.
Q6.
Using phonics strategies when reading can help to __________ unfamiliar words.
discover
Correct answer: decode
digest

6 Questions

Q1.
Order these events from the story 'Yoshi the Stonecutter'.
1 - Yoshi is "poor" but works hard as a "stonecutter".
2 - A "spirit" grants his "wishes" turning him into different things.
3 - Yoshi learns that power doesn't make him happy and wishes to be a "stonecutter".
Q2.
Complete this sentence: Reading with expression...
makes reading aloud more confusing for people listening.
Correct answer: makes reading aloud more interesting for people listening.
makes reading aloud more difficult for people listening.
Q3.
Match the punctuation marks to their name.
Correct Answer:?,question mark

question mark

Correct Answer:!,exclamation mark

exclamation mark

Correct Answer:" ",speech marks

speech marks

Q4.
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:"whispered",said quietly

said quietly

Correct Answer:"wither",to dry up or start to die

to dry up or start to die

Correct Answer:"overflowed",spilt over the top

spilt over the top

Q5.
If you stop to decode a word, it is a good idea to __________ the whole sentence afterwards to check it makes sense.
write
sing
Correct answer: re-read
re-write
Q6.
Which word in this sentence gives you a clue about the expression you might add when reading? "I was happier as a stonecutter," muttered Yoshi.
was
happier
Correct answer: muttered