To help improve your students' expressive reading, model proper expressive reading yourself. Begin by reading a line from a story: "Now remember," Mother said, "your father and I are bringing guests by after the opera, so please keep the house neat."
Then discuss with your students: Did you hear how I grouped the words "Now remember"? That's because they go together. And then I paused a little before I read the words Mother said. This comma (pointing to the comma) told me to do that. Did you hear how my voice got louder and sounded like a mother's warning? Now, you read this again with me like I did.