Prosody is the music of reading: where you pause, which words you stress and how your voice rises and falls.
Let's learn
- Read “I didn’t say she took it” six times, stressing a different word each time. Notice how the meaning changes.
- Pause at commas and periods.
- Stress important words.
- Match your voice to the mood: calm, exciting, sad.
Watch out for
- Reading every sentence in the same voice.
Make it fit your reader
- Easier: Stress just one word per sentence.
- Harder: Read a paragraph and mark the words to stress with underlines.
Practice activity
- Stress game: read the six versions of “I didn’t say she took it” and explain each meaning.
- Mood read: read one sentence happily, sadly and angrily.
Tip for grown-ups: Keep practice short and cheerful: 10 to 15 minutes is plenty for young readers. Praise effort, let your child point to the words, and stop while it is still fun.