Alliteration!

Let's check out Zoey's alliteration song that begins at 5:38 and ends at 6:27.

Alliteration

When you use words that start with the same letter or sound, it’s called alliteration.

Here are some examples:

• Six slippery snails slide slowly.
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• She sells seashells by the seashore.

Try it

Can you come up with any of your own examples of alliteration?

Why do we use alliteration?

Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound or letters at the beginning of a group of words.

An author might use alliteration to create a certain mood or convey a specific idea. Other times, an author uses alliteration to create rhyme. When an author creates alliteration in a text, they might also use descriptive language (i.e. adjectives and adjverbs).

Fluency and expression

When we read a text to ourselves or an audience, it is important to read accurately, and with the appropriate pace and expression.

Pace is the speed at which you read or follow a text. If we read too quickly, we might miss important parts of the text.

Expression helps convey meaning. We can use the punctuation in a text to help create expression. For example, a question mark or exclamation mark helps to remind us how we can express those parts of a text.

Let’s practice with using the following:

“Wanda was a wonderful child with a warm personality and wholesome smile.”

• First, examine the words in the sentence. Do you understand all of the words? If not, use a dictionary or another tool to find the definitions of unfamiliar words.
• Take your time going through each word and then read the whole sentence.
• Keep practicing until it you are able to find the right pace. *Emphasize the adjectives "wonderful," "warm," and "wholesome." How does that change your reading of the sentence?
• What other "W" words could you substitute? How would changing the descriptive language change the sentence?

Independent practice

Choose a passage or poem and identify any examples of alliteration in the text.

Practice reading your poem or passage.

Student Tips

Helpful tips

• Identify any unknown words in your passage, and use a dictionary or another tool to find the definitions.
• Practice reading your passage or poem aloud and decide on your own pace.
• Identify the punctuation used in your poem or passage, and use that to help you read with expression.
• Keeping practicing your passage or poem until it begins to flow. Have fun with it!

If possible, practice reading your poem for a partner.

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.