Teaching Reading to Young Learners Serena Chu English Language Fellow Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi

Some problems with reading and young learners Read too slowly Don’t have enough vocabulary Get frustrated Bored Would rather watch TV or play video games

So… How do we get children excited about reading?

Teaching Reading to Young Learners Get students involved—make the reading relevant to them! Use art, music, drama, and dance Connect reading to other skills Read to them Give them opportunities to love reading

Getting children involved Mini-books Sequencing stories Reading to children Activities

Making Words I G N G ER B READM N A Form new words: ginger read manhand thingdear beatthe breadran

I’m the Gingerbread Man I’m the Gingerbread Man and I’m here to say, You can’t catch me, no not today. I’ve run away from a big brown horse, And I can run from you of course, of course. I took a ride on the sly fox’s back. He ate me up for a tasty snack. Yum!

Gingerbread Man Recipe Ingredients: ¾ cup Crisco shortening (not oil) 1 cup light brown sugar ¼ cup molasses 1 egg 2 ¼ cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger

Gingerbread Man Recipe Mix all items. Refrigerate overnight. Form small balls (about 4 cm. diameter) to give to each child, so they can shape it into a man or woman. If they don’t use it all, they can make cookies with it. Add M & M’s for facial features. Spray Pam on individual pieces of foil that have been “wadded up” and then smoothed out. Write each student’s name on the foil with a permanent marker. Bake for 10 mins. at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. After the gingerbreads cool, use colored frosting to decorate around the edges. Students can use plastic sandwich bags with holes cut in the corner. They can use cream cheese frosting from a can.

Gingerbread Man Fingerplay and Chant Five little gingerbread men lying on a tray, One jumped up and ran away. Shouting, “Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can… I run really fast, I’m a gingerbread man! (Repeat with four, three, two, one…)

Gingerbread Man Fingerplay and Chant, con’t. No more gingerbread men lying on a tray, They all jumped up and ran away. Oh, how I wish they had stayed with me to play. Next time I’ll eat them before they run away!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Sequencing cards Video: Reading and asking reading aloud questions

Egg carton caterpillar and caterpillar magnet

Coffee filter butterflies Color the coffee filters with markers Place on brown paper and spray with water Squish and tie filters together with pipe cleaners or use a clothespin and stick on eyes

The Very Hungry Student On Monday, ___________ ate ______________. On Tuesday, he/she ate __________________. (name of student) (one apple) (two pancakes)

Life cycle of a butterfly You can do this on a paper plate button tissue paper paper bag green fuzzy balls

Song (sung to the tune of Addams’ family) Refrain: My tummy is fat (snap snap) I like it like that (snap snap) I wiggle around, I jiggle around, My tummy is fat (snap snap)

Song (sung to the tune of Addams’ family) I’m a hairy caterpiller I’m such a chubby feller I love to eat and eat, Those leaves are such a treat! *Back to refrain

The Little Caterpillar (to the tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider) The little caterpillar climbed up into a tree (climb fingers) Spun his cocoon and slept so quietly (spin hands and sleep) All through the winter he didn’t make a sound (shake head no with finger in front of lips) He dreamt of his new life when he’d be flying around (pretend to sleep)

The Little Caterpillar, con’t. While he was sleeping the snow did gently fall (fingers wiggle down) Winter came and went then he heard the robin’s call: “Come on Mr. Butterfly, out of your cocoon! (hand to mouth and shout) Spread your wings and fly for me while I sing my tune.” (spread arms and wave)

What can parents and teachers do? Read to your children Take your children to the library Give them books as gifts Encourage with stickers or other rewards Ask them questions when reading to them (read aloud)

What can parents and teachers do? Have students retell story after you’ve read it to them Integrate reading with other skills: art, science, math, speaking, and writing

Other ideas for teaching reading:  Have students act out parts of the book  Characterization: draw characters in groups  Listen to books on tape  Reading circles