At our lab, we focused on fluency in a poem. Now, we will take a look at a fiction piece. Read the passage “The Train Ride,” which is a made up story about Terrence, a young boy who goes on the train with his mother. Then, consider the following:

• Think about if you were to read this passage out loud to your friends. Choose a few lines to look at more closely. How would you read the mother’s part? How might you read the train announcement? How would you read Terrence’s narration? Explain why. Then, examine the punctuation in the piece. In what places would you pause?; speed up?; read carefully? Explain why. How might all of these help the listener to understand better?
• The passage discusses the fact that they are on a train going to see an acceptance speech of a president. Take a look at President Biden’s acceptance speech. Analyze the effectiveness of the speech by choosing particular phrases and sentences that you feel are powerful or persuasive. Figure out why the language is so impactful.
• Write a short play about a journey. The characters should be excited about where they are going or where they are headed. Think about each character’s personality and motivation. Be sure to utilize powerful words that display their feelings toward the journey they are taking. Use punctuation carefully as well.
• Write about a time when your family took a trip somewhere special. What happened? How did everyone feel? How did everyone react?

Have any thoughts about any of the prompts above? Want to tell us what you learned? Have any comments to share about the reading lab? Drop it below!