Intonation is the rise and fall in the pitch or tone of your voice as you read aloud. Pitch and tone both mean the highness or lowness of the sound.
• Change the sound of your voice to match what you are reading.
• Make your voice flow, or sound smooth while you read.
• Make sure you are pronouncing words correctly.
• Raise the sound of your voice for words that should be stressed, or emphasized.
• Use proper rhythm and meter.
• Use visual clues. (see box below)
| Visual Clue and Meaning | Example | How to Read It |
|---|---|---|
| Italics: draw attention to a word to show special importance | She is smart. | Emphasize “smart.” |
| Dash: shows a quick break in a sentence | She is—smart. | Pause before saying “smart.” |
| Exclamation: can represent energy, excitement, or anger | She is smart! | Make your voice louder at the end of the sentence. |
| All capital letters: can represent strong emphasis, or yelling | SHE IS SMART. | Emphasize the whole sentence. |
| Bold facing: draws attention to a word to show importance | She is smart. | Emphasize “smart.” |
| Question mark: shows curiosity or confusion | She is smart? | Raise the pitch of your voice slightly at the end of the sentence. |
Use the rubric below to measure how well a reader uses intonation while reading aloud. For intonation passages, see Reading Fluency Practice, pp. 648–671.
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| The reader’s tone does not change. The reading all sounds the same. | The reader’s tone changes sometimes to match what is being read. | The reader’s tone always changes to match what is being read. |