Performance director
Connect an explicit performance choice to its intended effect.
For parents and teachers
About this game
Grade 5 performance choices can make nuances and relationships clearer for an audience. Performance director links explicit directions to their intended effects, such as emphasising might to preserve uncertainty or distinguishing quoted speakers with different voices. The matches do not establish the only valid interpretation of an unfamiliar poem. They prepare children to explain and try a purposeful choice in a specific line. Read The gate was not open yet twice, first stressing not and then stressing yet. Discuss how the second choice can suggest a future change, while the first draws attention to the present restriction. Try a short passage with a partner and ask whether the intended idea became clearer. Keep technical explanation connected to what the listener actually hears.
Common Core connection: SL.5.2. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Suggested for ages 10–11. Grade 5 is a starting point, not a rule for every class.
How to play
Read the cards and match each one to its partner. Find six pairs, with no timer. Think about the meaning before choosing.
Step by step
- Read. Read the card, sentence or story clue all the way through.
- Choose. Use the meaning, not a guess from the first word.
- Talk. After the round, explain one choice out loud.
Worked examples
Use the first item as a model. Read it aloud, name the clue that decides the answer, then choose. The same steps work for the next item.
Common mistakes
Choosing too quickly. Slow down and use the whole sentence or clue. A familiar word can still be the wrong choice.
At home
Play one round together, then let the learner try the next round. Ask which words decided the answer.
In class
Use one round as a warm-up. Invite a learner to explain a choice before the next card.
Printable
This on-screen game does not include a worksheet. Practice the same idea with paper and a pencil, using an example from the guide.
Questions
Does this cover a whole standard?
No. It practices one part of the connected standard.