Record and Review Performance
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What you will learn
- 1Complete a structured self-evaluation after a recorded reading performance
- 2Set specific, measurable improvement targets based on the self-evaluation
- 3Explain the value of reviewing your own performance to grow as a reader
Mini Lesson
Recording yourself reading (with a grown-up's help) and then listening back is one of the most powerful ways to improve. When you hear your own voice, you notice things you cannot catch while reading: mispronounced words, missing pauses, flat intonation, or rushed passages. Self-review turns awareness into action.
How to Review a Recording
- Listen to the full recording once without stopping — note your overall impression.
- Listen again and mark specific moments: where were you unclear? rushed? flat?
- Complete a self-evaluation checklist: accuracy, expression, pace, pausing, projection.
- Write two or three specific improvement targets — not "do better" but "slow down at the end of each paragraph."
- Record again and compare the two versions.
Self-Evaluation Criteria
- Accuracy — Did you read the words on the page without substitutions or omissions?
- Expression — Did your voice reflect the emotion and mood of the text?
- Pace — Did you read at a steady, appropriate speed without rushing?
- Pausing — Did you pause correctly at punctuation marks?
- Projection — Could a listener hear you clearly from a distance?
Words to know
Self-evaluation
Assessing your own performance honestly against set criteria
e.g. Her self-evaluation showed she needed to slow down at difficult words.
Projection
Using enough volume and clarity so all listeners can hear you
e.g. His coach praised his projection — even the back row heard every word.
Target
A specific, measurable goal you aim to achieve
e.g. Her target was to pause correctly at all periods.
Criteria
The standards by which something is judged
e.g. The evaluation criteria included accuracy, pace, and expression.
The first time you hear yourself recorded, you may feel uncomfortable. This is normal! Professional readers say the same thing. Push through — the second listen is much more productive.
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