Singapore 2026 PSLE Chinese Oral Reading – Family bonds are more important
This is a PSLE Chinese oral reading practice passage for 2026 in Singapore. The story is about a brother and sister who quarrel over who owns a set of colour markers, but after Grandma reminds them to think about each other, they make up and become close again. When reading this passage aloud, scoring high marks is not just about pronouncing the words correctly. The key is to use different tones of voice to show who is speaking, pause at the right moments to highlight changes in the story, and stress certain words to convey feelings, turning the short passage into a mini drama.
《亲情更重要》
一天下午，兄妹俩一边聊天一边画画，心情很愉快。没多久 ,他们为了一支彩色笔争吵了起来。“这支笔是朋友送给我的！”妹妹理直气壮地说。哥哥不服气地回答道：“瞎说！它是我的，被你偷走了！”
这时，奶奶咳了一声，说：“难道一支笔比兄妹之间的感情还重要吗?”兄妹俩这才明白犯了错误,不再互相指责，继续开心地作画。
High-Score Read-Aloud Techniques
- Voices must change completely for each character
The passage has three characters: younger sister, older brother, and Grandmother. If you don't distinguish their tones when reading, you'll lose marks straight away.
For the sister's line “这支笔是朋友送给我的！” use a high-pitched, urgent tone, with stress on "朋友" and "我" to show her aggrieved feeling at being wrongly accused.
For the brother's line “瞎说！它是我的，被你偷走了！” lower your pitch and speed up. Say "瞎说" short and sharp, and emphasise "偷走" with extra weight to bring out his anger.
For Grandmother's line “难道一支笔比兄妹之间的感情还重要吗?” you must slow down and soften your voice. Use a rising but gentle questioning tone, with stress on "感情" to bring out her wise, persuasive advice.
- Use the emotional turning point to create contrast
The passage moves through emotions: happy → arguing → realisation → happy again. The pro tip is to pause for 1 second after "这时，奶奶咳了一声" before reading Grandmother's line. This pause lets the listener anticipate the turning point, and also gives you time to breathe, so that Grandmother's calm tone stands in sharp contrast to the earlier heated argument.
- Use strong and soft stresses on keywords
Don't put equal effort on every word. For example:
“心情很愉快” should be light and rising, to set the initial upbeat mood.
“理直气壮” must be crisp and clear, with a slightly slower pace, to highlight the sister's defiant attitude.
At the end, “继续开心地作画” should be gradually slower and softer, to bring out a sense of relief and calm, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
- Punctuation marks are your breathing cues
Question marks, exclamation marks, and full stops must be treated differently.
The brother's exclamation mark should end crisply, without dragging the sound.
Grandmother's question mark should have a slight upward lift at the end, but don't raise the volume too much, or it becomes an accusation instead of a gentle nudge.
You must breathe at full stops. In particular, pause briefly after “不再互相指责” before reading “继续开心地作画” — this makes the narrative layers clear.
- Avoid a 'reading-out-loud' tone
Don't read word by word or drag out the ends of phrases. Read “兄妹俩一边聊天一边画画” like natural everyday speech, with smooth linking (e.g. say "兄妹俩" as a fluid chunk, and say the second "画" in "画画" lightly). Only Grandmother's lines can have a slightly more formal feel, to show her role as the elder.
