"Juicy SAID" Words

Today in reading workshop we continued to learn how to read fluently.  One way to read fluently is with expression!  A reader can change the tone of their voice when they notice the punctuation (a period, a question mark or an exclamation mark) at the end of a sentence.  Today students learned that sometimes authors choose specific words to let the reader know how to read the text.  These “clue” words help us read with expression by knowing HOW and WHEN to change our voices.  When we read with expression, we understand how the character is feeling and what they are like. Reading with expression helps us understand the story better.

The “clue” words are referred to as “juicy said” words in our classroom.  Instead of using the word “said” an author uses a different “juicy” (such as yelled, whispered, etc.) word to help the reader know and understand how to change their voice.  During the mini-lesson we looked through various books for “juicy said” words and we then added those words to our anchor chart.

During “Read to Self”, students could write down the “juicy said” words they came across in their books on a post-it note.  Below is a video of a student sharing all the “juicy said” words he came across while reading independently.  Our “juicy said” words anchor chart will be a wonderful resource to help us read with expression AND to use as a reference when we write stories during writing workshop.  Students are encouraged to share with the class any “juicy said” words they come across by writing them down on a  post-it note.

"Juicy SAID" words from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.