P6 Oral Reading Passages - How to Tackle Them Like a Pro! (Speech & Announcements)

The Write Tribe
Apr 23
6 min read

P6 Oral Reading Passages - How to Tackle Them Like a Pro!

The oral reading passage assesses your ability to read aloud clearly, fluently, and with appropriate expression. Examiners are listening for several key skills:

Pronunciation: Saying words correctly and clearly.
Fluency: Reading smoothly at a natural pace, without excessive hesitation.
Intonation: Using the rise and fall of your voice to convey meaning and emotion.
Clarity: Speaking audibly and distinctly so every word can be understood.

Here are some effective strategies to tackle those passages:

* Quick Preview is Key: Before you start reading aloud, take a few seconds to scan the passage. Get a general idea of the topic and identify any words that look unfamiliar.
* Spot the Tricky Words: If you see a word you're unsure about, try sounding it out syllable by syllable. Look for familiar prefixes or suffixes that might give you a clue. If you're still unsure, make your best educated guess while reading – sometimes the context can help!
Punctuation is Your Guide: Pay close attention to punctuation marks!
Full stops (.) signal the end of a sentence – take a brief pause.
Commas (, ) indicate a shorter pause within a sentence.
Question marks (?) tell you to raise your intonation at the end of the sentence.
Exclamation marks (!) show excitement or emphasis – let your voice reflect that!
Read in Sense Groups: Instead of reading word by word, try to read in meaningful chunks or phrases. This will make your reading sound more natural and fluent. For example, instead of "The / little / bird / flew / quickly / over / the / tall / tree," try "The little bird / flew quickly / over the tall tree."
Practice Makes Perfect (Seriously!): The more you practice reading aloud, the more comfortable and confident you'll become. Read different types of texts – stories, articles, even your school textbooks!
Listen to Yourself: Try recording yourself reading. This can help you identify areas where you need to improve your pronunciation, fluency, or clarity.
Seek Feedback: Don't be afraid to read aloud to your parents, teachers, or tutors and ask for constructive feedback. They can point out areas you might not have noticed yourself.
Stay Calm and Breathe: On the day of the exam, take a deep breath before you start reading. If you stumble over a word, don't panic! Just take a moment and continue reading.

What Are the Speech and Announcement Passages in PSLE Oral Reading Aloud?
P6 Oral Reading Passages - How to Tackle Them Like a Pro! (Speech & Announcements)

In the PSLE English Oral exam, students are required to read a short passage aloud. Speech and Announcements are one of the common passages tested. These passages are often written in the form of speeches or announcements, commonly seen in school settings. For example, it might be a student giving a speech during assembly, a teacher making a school announcement, or a notice shared over the PA system.
These types of passages are chosen because they reflect real-life communication that students are familiar with. They also allow examiners to assess how well a student can read aloud with clarity, appropriate expression, and pacing—especially when addressing an audience.
By practising speeches and announcements, students can become more confident in using intonation, pauses, and emphasis to convey meaning effectively. It's not just about reading the words correctly, but bringing the message to lifeas if they were truly making the announcement or giving the speech.

Sample passage:

PSLE 2025 Oral Reading Passage – Speech/Announcement

Preamble:

You are the Head Prefect of your school. During the morning assembly, you are giving a speech to encourage students to participate in a new “Reading Champions” program, aimed at promoting reading habits among students.

Good morning, Principal, teachers, and fellow students.

I am excited to introduce a new initiative that will make reading even more enjoyable for everyone—our "Reading Champions" program! This program encourages all of us to explore the world of books and improve our language skills.

Reading is not just about studying. It is about discovering new ideas, traveling to different places through stories, and expanding our imagination. Whether you enjoy adventure, mystery, or history, there is a book for you!

Through this program, we will have book-sharing sessions, fun reading challenges, and even special prizes for students who read the most books. Everyone is welcome to join! Let’s work together to make our school a community of passionate readers.

I encourage each of you to pick up a book today and start this journey. Let’s read, learn, and grow together!

Thank you.

Breakdown of passage

Let's break down this passage to see how we can approach reading it effectively so you can tackle P6 Oral Reading Passages (Speech & Announcement) like a pro!

PSLE 2025 Oral Reading Passage – Speech/Announcement

Good morning, Principal, teachers, and fellow students.

🟢 (Punctuation Pause & Expression) – Pause slightly after “Good morning” and before listing the audience to sound formal and engaging.

I am excited to introduce a new initiative that will make reading even more enjoyable for everyone—our "Reading Champions" program!

🔵 (Enunciation & Expression) – Stress "excited" to convey enthusiasm. Pronounce "initiative" and "program" clearly to sound confident.🟢 (Punctuation Pause) – Pause slightly before and after the dash (—) to create emphasis on the program name.🔴 (Volume & Rhythm) – Raise your voice slightly at the end to build excitement!

This program encourages all of us to explore the world of books and improve our language skills.

🔵 (Enunciation) – Ensure clarity on “explore” and “language skills” as these are key words.🟢 (Punctuation Pause) – Slight pause after "books" to allow information to be processed.

Reading is not just about studying. It is about discovering new ideas, traveling to different places through stories, and expanding our imagination.

🟢 (Punctuation Pause) – Pause after "studying." Slight pause after each comma to enhance clarity.🔵 (Enunciation) – Pronounce “discovering” and “imagination” clearly to maintain fluency.🔴 (Expression & Rhythm) – Use an engaging tone when listing “discovering new ideas, traveling... expanding our imagination” to make it sound interesting.

Whether you enjoy adventure, mystery, or history, there is a book for you!

🟢 (Punctuation Pause) – Pause briefly after “adventure,” “mystery,” and “history” to create a rhythmic effect.🔵 (Enunciation & Expression) – Emphasize “adventure,” “mystery,” and “history” to sound lively and inviting.

Through this program, we will have book-sharing sessions, fun reading challenges, and even special prizes for students who read the most books.

🟢 (Punctuation Pause) – Pause briefly at each comma to enhance clarity.🔵 (Enunciation) – Ensure clear pronunciation of “book-sharing sessions” and “special prizes.”🔴 (Expression & Volume) – Sound enthusiastic when saying “fun reading challenges” and “special prizes” to engage the audience.

Everyone is welcome to join! Let’s work together to make our school a community of passionate readers.

🔴 (Volume & Expression) – Increase your volume slightly when saying “Everyone is welcome to join!” to encourage participation.🟢 (Punctuation Pause & Rhythm) – Pause after “join!” before transitioning to the next sentence to maintain fluency.

I encourage each of you to pick up a book today and start this journey. Let’s read, learn, and grow together!

🔵 (Enunciation & Expression) – Emphasize "encourage" and "journey" to add motivation.🔴 (Volume & Rhythm) – Slightly raise your voice and slow down when saying “Let’s read, learn, and grow together!” to create a strong, inspiring conclusion.

Thank you.

🟢 (Punctuation Pause) – Pause for 1-2 seconds after reading to indicate the end of the speech.🔴 (Expression & Volume) – Say this with a polite and confident tone, slightly lowering your voice.

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Supercharge Your Preparation: PSLE ORAL workshop!

Want to know how your child will do for PSLE ORAL?

Try a 15 minute Mock PSLE ORAL session with us. Get your session recorded, receive comprehensive notes on what to improve & a score based on the Oral Marking Scheme.

Oral Review is our ad hoc programme to prepare PSLE students for Oral examinations. Students will be tested for 1 reading passage and 1 set of stimulus based conversation question. Each session is 15 minutes. Parents will receive feedback in written form and also scores.

Learn more