How to Teach Reading to English Learners

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide for educators with 50 creative and engaging reading activities to enhance students' fluency and comprehension. It emphasizes the importance of integrating reading with other skills, such as speaking and critical thinking. The activities are divided into pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading phases, offering diverse strategies like role-playing, text reassembly, vocabulary games, and creative exercises. These activities aim to foster a deeper connection with the text, boost engagement, and promote a collaborative learning environment, making reading an interactive and enjoyable experience for students of all levels.

Takeaways

• 😀 Reading is an essential skill, but should not be done in isolation. It should be integrated with other skills like comprehension, speaking, and creative language use.
• 😀 There are two main types of reading: reading for fluency (out loud to improve pronunciation) and reading for comprehension (done individually or in small groups to understand the content).
• 😀 Reading happens in three phases: pre-reading (preparing students), while reading (engagement and comprehension checks), and post-reading (reflection and understanding verification).
• 😀 Pre-reading activities should engage students with the story, such as predicting content based on the title, author, and image, and pre-teaching relevant vocabulary.
• 😀 Creative pre-reading activities can include the 'Tarantino' method (reading the end of the story first) and the 'Preview' method (skimming the first paragraph).
• 😀 During reading, activities like reading aloud, reading races, and role-playing can increase student engagement and ensure comprehension.
• 😀 Fun activities such as whisper races, where students pass a sentence down a line, and team-based reading aloud can motivate students to focus on fluency and comprehension.
• 😀 Post-reading activities are crucial for comprehension checks and reflection, such as discussing the text, summarizing it, and asking questions.
• 😀 Creative post-reading activities include rewriting stories, role-playing scenes, debating story issues, or writing alternate endings to enhance comprehension and creativity.
• 😀 Other post-reading activities include creating visual representations of the story (e.g., timelines, posters) and engaging students in deeper reflection (e.g., retelling from different points of view, writing letters to characters).

Q & A

Why should reading not be done in isolation, according to the script?

Reading should not be done in isolation because it is most effective when integrated with other skills such as comprehension, speaking, and creative use of language. This approach helps students evolve into stronger individuals with a broader set of skills.

What are the two main types of reading mentioned in the script?

The two main types of reading are reading for fluency and reading for comprehension. Reading for fluency involves reading out loud to correct pronunciation, while reading for comprehension focuses on understanding the content, typically done alone or in small groups.

What are the three phases of reading, and what happens in each phase?

The three phases of reading are: 1) Pre-reading, where the teacher prepares students by discussing the story and pre-teaching keywords. 2) While reading, where students read aloud in teams or perform activities to check understanding. 3) Post-reading, where students reflect on and discuss the story to assess comprehension.

What activities can be used in the pre-reading phase to engage students?

In the pre-reading phase, activities include discussing the photo or image above the text, predicting the content based on the title and author, and pre-teaching keywords to enhance comprehension.

What is the 'Tarantino' method of reading described in the script?

The 'Tarantino' method involves reading the last part of the text first and then asking students to predict what will happen in the beginning and middle of the story. This method helps engage students in the prediction process before reading the entire text.

How does the 'Reading Race' activity work?

In the 'Reading Race' activity, students line up against the wall, and strips of text are pasted on the other side of the room. They alternate running back and forth, asking each other questions and finding the answers from the text. The first team to finish wins.

How can students engage with the text after reading, according to the post-reading activities?

Post-reading activities include discussing the text, creating comprehension questions, summarizing the story, comparing it with a movie or another book, and reflecting on the pre-taught keywords. Students can also write alternate endings, role-play characters, or debate issues presented in the story.

What role does 'role play' play in the classroom activities?

Role play helps students deeply understand the characters and narrative of the story by actively engaging in it. In larger classes, students are assigned characters or the narrator, and they ensure everyone in the group understands the plot, which also improves overall comprehension.

What is the benefit of using activities like 'mime words or opposites' in the classroom?

'Mime words or opposites' is a fun game that encourages students to act out words or opposites from the text, enhancing their understanding of vocabulary. It's useful for all levels of students, especially low- to mid-level learners, as it provides a physical and engaging way to learn.

How does the 'Timeline or Collage' activity support creativity in learning?

The 'Timeline or Collage' activity allows students to create a visual representation of the story's events, helping them organize and understand the sequence. It also encourages creativity, as students can make artistic connections with the content of the story.