Starting to read with young learners Moscow 8 October 2009

Who are Young Learners?

YL characteristics Learn through experience Have short attention and concentration span Need to moveMore concerned about themselves than others Are not very able to control and plan their own behavior Are not afraid of making mistakes or taking risks Need to move Pay attention to meaning in language Have limited experience of life Have a limited knowledge about the world They have limited reading and writing skills even in their first language. Learn through experienceThey enjoy fantasy and imagination Have lower levels of awareness about themselves as language learners.

What is reading?

What is reading with YLs?

Reading is… …a process whereby one looks and understands what has been written. (Williams 1989) …is the main source of expanding and strengthening the language. (Scott & Ytreberg 2000) …is the process of decoding the written words. … is both process and product. The process of reading involves the interaction between the reader and the text – how the reader is deciphering the writing on the page. The product of reading is reading comprehension, or internal construction of meaning. (Alderson 2000)

Why teach reading? enthusiasm reinforcement interest sense of achievement exposure to the written form Help link learning with use of English outside class (Internet!)

How to start reading?

Start reading with… decoding familiar written language Matching spoken and written forms Label objects Posters with common phrases A calendar ABC poster

Decoding familiar written language

Matching spoken and written forms

Whole word method encourages immediate recognition is used for irregular words

English alphabet Song Spelling Hangman Matching letters Dot-to-dot exercises …

Letter-sound correspondence(phonics) encourages to recognize analogies below word level to help them to work out how to read and write

Ways of Reading Skimming (Reading for gist) Scanning (Reading for specific info) Reading for detail Intensive reading Extensive reading

Useful links

References: Alderson, J.C Assessing Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cameron, L Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. McKay, P Assessing Young Language Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ministry of Education Of Russian Federation National Curriculum. Moscow: Prosveshenie Scott, W. A. and L. H. Ytreberg Teaching English to Children. New York: Longman Slattery, M. and J. Willis English for Primary Teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations Cambridge Young Learners English Tests Sample Papers. Williams, E Reading in the Language Classroom. UK: Macmillan

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