Shadowing Practice: WONDER Part 1 August Chapters 5 - 7 Read Aloud | Upper Elementary Classroom (Grades 4–6) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Wonder by RJ Palacio Driving It was a long drive home.

I fell asleep in the back seat like I always do.

I head on Via's lap like she was my pillow.

A towel wrapped around the seatbelt so I wouldn't drool all over her.

Via fell asleep too.

And Mom and Dad talked quietly about grown-up things I don't care about.

I don't know how long I was sleeping, but when I woke up, there was a full moon outside the car window.

It was a purple night, and we were driving on a highway full of cars.

And then I heard Mom and Dad talking about me.

We can't keep protecting him, Mom whispered to Dad, who was driving.

We can't just pretend he's going to wake up tomorrow and this isn't going to be his reality.

because it is Nate and we have to help him learn to deal with it.

We can't just keep avoiding situations that.

So sending him off to middle school like a lamb to the slaughter, dad answered angrily.

But he didn't even finish his sentence because he saw me in the mirror looking up.

What's a lamb to the slaughter?

I asked sleepily.

Go back to sleep, Augie, dad said softly.

Everyone will stare at me at school, I said, suddenly crying.

Honey, Mom said.

She turned around in the front seat and put her hand on my hand.

You know if you don't want to do this, you don't have to.

But we spoke to the principal there and told him about you, and he really wants to meet you.

What did you tell him about me?

how funny you are and how kind and smart.

When I told him you read Dragon Rider when you were six, he was like, wow, I have to meet this kid.

Did you tell him anything else?

I said.

Mom smiled at me.

Her smile kind of hugged me.

I told him all about your surgeries and how brave you are, she said.

So he knows what I look like, I asked.

Well, we brought pictures from last summer in Montauk, Dad said.

We showed him pictures of the whole family and that great shot of you holding that flounder on the boat.

You were there too?

I have to admit, I felt a little disappointed that he was part of this.

We both talked to him, yes, Dad said.

He's a really nice man.

You would like him, Mom added.

Suddenly it felt like they were on the same side.

Wait, so when did you meet him, I said.

He took us on a tour of the school last year, said Mom.

Last year, I said.

So you've been thinking about this for a whole year and you didn't tell me?

We didn't know if you'd even get in, Augie, answered mom.

It's a very hard school to get into.

There's a whole admissions process.

I didn't see the point in telling you and having you get all worked up about it unnecessarily. But you're right, Augie.

We should have told you when we found out last month that you got in, said dad.

In hindsight sighed mom.

Yes I guess.

Did that lady who came to the house that time have something to do with this?

I said.

The one that gave me that test?

Yes actually said mom looking guilty.

Yes.

You told me it was an IQ test I said.

I know.

Well that was a white lie she answered.

"'It was a test you needed to take to get into the school.

"'You did very well on it, by the way.

"'So you lied,' I said.

"'A white lie, but yes.

"'Sorry,' she said, trying to smile.

But when I didn't smile back, she turned around in her seat and faced Ford.

What's a lamb to the slaughter, I said.

Mom sighed and gave Dad a look.

I shouldn't have said that, Dad said, looking at me in the rear your mirror.

It's not true.

Here's the thing.

Mommy and I love you so much we want to protect you.

Anyway, we can.

It's just sometimes we want to do it in different ways.

I don't want to go to school, I answered, folding my arms.

It would be good for you, Augie, said mom.

Maybe I'll go next year, I answered, looking out the window.

This year would be better, Augie said mom.

You know why?

Because you'll be going into fifth grade, and that's the first year of middle school for everyone.

You won't be the only new kid.

I'll be the only kid who looks like me, I said.

I'm not going to say it won't be a big challenge for you because you know better than that, she answered.

But it'll be good for you, Augie.

You'll make lots of friends, and you'll learn things you never learn with me.

She turned in her seat again and looked at me.

When we took the tour, you know what they had in their science lab?

A little baby chick that was just hatching out of its egg.

It was so cute.

Augie, it actually kind of reminded me of you when you were a little baby with those big brown eyes of yours.

I usually love when they talk about when I was a baby.

Sometimes I want to curl up into a little tiny ball and let them hug me and kiss me all over.

I miss being a baby, not knowing stuff, but I wasn't in the mood for that now.

I don't want to go, I said.

How about this?

Can you at least meet Mr. Tushman before making up your mind?

Mom asked.

Mr. Tushman?

I said.

He's the principal, answered Mom.

100

Mr. Tushman, I repeated.

101

I know, right?

102

Dad answered, smiling and looking at me in the rearview mirror.

103

Can you believe that name, Augie?

104

I mean, who on earth would ever agree to have a name like Mr. Tushman.

105

I smiled even though I didn't want to let them see me smile.

106

Dad was the one person in the world who could make me laugh, no matter how much I didn't want to laugh.

107

Dad always made everyone laugh.

108

Augie, you know, you should go to that school just so you can hear his name said over the loudspeaker, Dad said excitedly.

109

Can you imagine how funny that would be?

110

Hello, hello, Hello, Paging Mr. Tushman.

111

He was using a fake high old lady voice.

112

Hi, Mr. Tushman.

113

I see you're running a little behind today.

114

Did your car get rear-ended again?

115

What a bum rap.

116

I started laughing, not even because I thought he was being that funny, but because I wasn't in the mood to stay mad anymore.

117

It could be worse, though, Dad continued in his normal voice.

118

Mommy and I had a professor in college called Miss Butt.

119

Mom was laughing now, too.

120

Is that for real?

121

I said.

122

Roberta Butt, Mom answered, raising her hand as if to swear.

123

Bobby Butt.

124

She had huge cheeks, said Dad.

125

Nate, said Mom.

126

What?

127

She had big cheeks is all I'm saying.

128

Mom laughed and shook her head at the same time.

129

Hey, hey, I know, said Dad excitedly.

130

Let's fix them up on a blind date.

131

Can you imagine Miss Butt meet Mr. Tushman?

132

Mr. Tushman, here's Miss Butt.

133

They could get married and have a bunch of little tushies.

134

Poor Mr. Tushman, answered Mom, shaking her head.

135

Augie hasn't even met the man yet, Nate.

136

Who's Mr. Tushman?

137

Fia said groggily.

138

She had just woken up.

139

He's the principal of my new school, I answered.

140

Paging Mr. Tushman

141

I would have been more nervous about meeting Mr. Tushman

142

if I'd known I was also going to be meeting some kids from the new school.

143

But I didn't know.

144

So if anything, I was kind of giggly.

145

I couldn't stop thinking about all the jokes Daddy had made about Mr. Tushman's name.

146

So when me and Mom arrived at Beecher Prep a few weeks before the start of school, and I saw Mr. Tushman standing there, waiting for us at the entrance,

147

I started giggling right away.

148

He didn't look at all like what I pictured, though.

149

I guess I thought he would have a huge butt, but he didn't.

150

In fact, he was a pretty normal guy, tall and thin, old but not really old.

151

He seemed nice.

152

He shook my mom's hand first.

153

Hi, Mr. Tushman.

154

It's so nice to see you again, said Mom.

155

This is my son, August.

156

Mr. Tushman looked right at me and smiled and nodded.

157

He put his hand out for me to shake.

158

Hi, August, he said totally normally.

159

it's a pleasure to meet you.

160

Hi, I mumbled, dropping my hand into his hand while I looked down at his feet.

161

He was wearing red Adidas.

162

So, he said, kneeling down in front of me so I couldn't look at his sneakers, but had to look at his face.

163

Your mom and dad have told me a lot about you.

164

Like, what have they told you?

165

I asked.

166

Sorry?

167

Honey, you have to speak up, said Mom.

168

Like what?

169

I asked, trying not to mumble.

170

I admit I have a bad habit of mumbling.

171

Well, that you like to read, said Mr. Tushman, and that you're a great artist.

172

He had blue eyes with white eyelashes.

173

And you're into science, right?

174

Uh-huh, I said, nodding.

175

We have a couple of great science electives that feature, he said.

176

Maybe you'll take one of them?

177

Uh-huh, I said, though I had no idea what an elective was.

178

So are you ready to take a tour?

179

You mean we're doing that now, I said.

180

Did you think we were going to the movie?

181

he answered smiling as he stood up.

182

You didn't tell me we were taking a tour I said to mom in my accusing voice.

183

Augie she started to say it'll be fine August said Mr. Tushman holding his hand out to me.

184

I promise.

185

I think he wanted me to take his hand but I took mom's instead.

186

He smiled and started walking toward the entrance.

187

Mommy gave my hand a little squeeze, though I don't know if it was an I love you squeeze or an I'm sorry squeeze.

188

Probably a little of both.

189

The only school I'd ever been inside before was Villa's, when I went with mom and dad to watch Villa sing in spring concerts and stuff like that.

190

This school was very different.

191

It was smaller.

192

It smelled like a hospital.

193

Nice Mrs. Garcia.

194

We followed Mr. Tushman down a few hallways.

195

There weren't a lot of people around, and the few people who were there didn't seem to notice me at all.

196

Though that may have been because they didn't see me.

197

I sort of hid behind Mom as I walked.

198

I know that sounds kind of babyish of me, but I wasn't feeling very brave right then.

199

We ended up in a small room with the words, Office of the Middle School Director on the door.

200

Inside, there was a desk with a nice seeming lady sitting behind it.

201

This is Mrs. Garcia, said Mr. Tushman, and the lady smiled at Mom and took off her glasses and got up out of her chair.

202

My mother shook her hand and said, Isabella Pullman, nice to meet you.

203

And this is August, Mr. Tushman said.

204

Mom kind of stepped to the side a bit so I would move forward.

205

Then that thing happened that I've seen happen a million times before.

206

When I looked up at her, Mrs. Garcia's eyes dropped for a second.

207

It was so fast no one else would have noticed, since the rest of her face stayed exactly the same.

208

She was smiling a really shiny smile.

209

Such a pleasure to meet you, August, she said, holding out her hand for me to shake.

210

Hi, I said quietly, giving her my hand, but I didn't want to look at her face, so I kept staring at her glasses,

211

which hung from a chain around her neck.

212

Wow, what a firm grip, said Mrs. Garcia.

213

Her hand was really warm.

214

The kid's got a killer handshake, Mr. Tushman agreed, and everyone laughed above my head.

215

You can call me Mrs. G., Mrs. Garcia said.

216

I think she was talking to me, but I was looking at all the stuff on her desk now.

217

That's what everyone calls me, Mrs. G.

218

I forgot my combination.

219

Mrs. G., I need a late pass.

220

Mrs. G., I want to change my elective.

221

Mrs. G.'s actually the one who runs the place, said Mr. Tushman, which again made all the grown-ups laugh.

222

I'm here every morning by 7 30 Mrs. Garcia continued still looking at me

223

while I stared at her brown sandals with small purple flowers on the buckles.

224

So if you ever need anything August I'm the one to ask and you can ask me anything.

225

Okay I mumbled.

226

Oh, look at that cute baby, Mom said, pointing to one of the photographs on Mrs. Garcia's bulletin board.

227

Is he yours?

228

No, my goodness, said Mrs. Garcia, smiling a big smile.

229

Now that was totally different from her shiny smile.

230

You've just made my day.

231

He's my grandson.

232

What a cutie, said Mom, shaking her head.

233

How old?

234

In that first picture, he was five months, I think.

235

He's big now, almost eight years old.

236

Wow, said mom, nodding and smiling.

237

Well, he is absolutely beautiful.

238

Thank you, said Mrs. Garcia, nodding like she was about to say something else about her grandson.

239

But then all of a sudden, and her smile got a little smaller.

240

We're all going to take very good care of August, she said to mom, and I saw her give mom's hand a little squeeze.

241

I looked at mom's face, and that's when I realized she was just as nervous as I was.

242

I guess I liked Mrs. Garcia when she wasn't wearing her shiny smile.

243

you

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing Practice: WONDER Part 1 August Chapters 5 - 7 Read Aloud | Upper Elementary Classroom (Grades 4–6) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Why practice speaking with this video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

What is the Shadowing Technique?