Some basic considerations in verse-speaking training 1. Rhythm

Try to discern the rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables in the verse: the poem may have a very regular rhythm or “beat”, or it may be irregular in places.

2. Variations

If the poem has a very regular beat, it may be good to introduce some variations so that the beat does not become too predictable and irritating. Make sure the stress falls only on parts of words which should be stressed, and on the parts of sentences which are to be

“foregrounded”.

3. Sense units

A common problem in reading aloud poetry is reading line-by-line. A poem should be read in such a way that it reflects the sense units contained in it, i.e. not that differently from prose. Just because there is a visible line-break on the page does not mean there should be a pause when reading. Think of the sense of what is being read.

4. Intonation

Once you have worked out the sense units, the intonation will be easier to decide on. It will depend on the interpretation you have of the poem, and different people may read with different intonation.

5. Pausing

A poem is a short, skilful, concentrated piece of writing. The listeners need time to hear and appreciate the poet’s skill, therefore well-crafted expressions should be read aloud with care and attention. Well-chosen pauses can add greatly to the overall effect. If a particularly colourful or meaningful phrase is about to be spoken, a significant pause before it can create a good effect.

6. Pronunciation

Predictable difficulties include: “th” sounds, consonant clusters, final consonants.

Teachers might avoid choosing a poem that will be no more than a tongue-twister for students.

Some poems depend for their impact on the sound effects created by the choice of words.

Onomatopoeic words, such as “crunch, crackle, swish, splash” etc, lose their point if their consonants are not pronounced. Teachers should encourage the students to appreciate the sound effects, and impress on them that these are not an optional extra, but are part of the meaning of the poem.

7. Facial expressions

Having appropriate facial expression certainly adds a lot to the delivery of a poem, but these should not be strained. They should be a natural response to the meaning of what is being said, and not over-exaggerated.

8. Gestures

Similarly, gestures should not look like sign-language for the hard-of-hearing! Those gestures which match the sense naturally, and without exaggeration, can add a lot to the delivery, but over-dramatic movements are very often a distraction.

Students should be encouraged to use the full range of voice tones they have at their disposal. They can modulate their tones, speed up or slow down, speak loudly or quietly.

This already gives them a range of effects without needing to use any movements.

9. Choral Effects

In addition to the above considerations, in choral verse-speaking, the team consists of different types of voices which can be used to create different sound effects. The class can read together, in groups, or individually. Students with different voice quality can be grouped together to read different sections of the piece, while musical effects such as crescendo can be created by gradually increasing the number of voices, or the volume.

10. Scoring

The challenge for a beginning team is to co-ordinate their reading. Teachers should decide on the stress and intonation patterns to be followed in the reading and decide on a system of notation so that all students can follow the same “score”.

11. Regulations

If entering a formal competition, teachers should check the regulations regarding minimum and maximum numbers of participants in a choral group, what props, if any, are allowed, and if there is a time limit.

6.

Extensive Reading Scheme

i. Place in the year’s work

⇒ Is this going to go towards a percentage of the grade for the year? If so, how much?

⇒ Will this reduce the number of compositions that students have to do? If so, by how many?

ii. Marking

For a quick and easy way of marking these tasks, the following is one suggestion. This gives each person a grade out of 10, which over the year would give them a total mark out of 100.

CONTENT quality & accuracy /5 PRESENTATION appropriateness & quality /5

iii. Incorporating this work into class time

There is an ‘extensive reading period’ each cycle. This is used in a variety of ways, for example:

• To teach students how to do some of the tasks. Some tasks will be unfamiliar to them so will require some teaching.

• Individual reading and/or working on tasks.

• To share good work. It is great for the students to be able to share this. It is also encouraging to others and gives them ideas.

• For some classes, the ‘sharing’ time could be extended into discussing the books they’ve read, sharing their work and making recommendations to each other.

iv. Folder/Portfolio

By the end of the year, students should have a folder which contains all their tasks as well as a record of all the books they’ve read that year. Instruction sheets should probably inform students what kind of folder they need to buy.

v. Due dates

When the timetable for the year has been finalised, they can be decided upon and given to students with the instructions so that they know when everything is due.

Example:

Task completed

Due Date 8 March 27 March 10 April 2 May 23 May

Grade /10 Teacher’s signature

vi. Further work to be done Decide on tasks for each level

⇒ Finalise instruction sheet for each level

⇒ Decide on due dates

⇒ Prepare examples of some tasks

II. Suggested Reading Tasks