Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Importance of Enunciation

I was reading our read aloud book today to the children in school. They know that if they aren't understanding something in the story they should stop me and ask. Today Laurel stopped me and said she didn't understand why the family in the story was so scared. I thought "The child has paid no attention!" I explained "Laurel, we have been discussing for weeks the fear that the pioneers had toward Native Americans and vice versa. The family in this story is scared because of the events that have gone on with the Native Americans in the area." She said, "I know that, but why are they afraid of an Indian tortoise?" I could not figure out what she was saying until I glanced back at what I had just been reading. The line read "For there, slowly and softly, came a tall Indian toward us." She had heard "tortoise" instead of "toward us." Clearly enunciation on my part is important.

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