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Teaching Reading LLT 307.

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Presentation on theme: "Teaching Reading LLT 307."— Presentation transcript:

1 Teaching Reading LLT 307

2 Reading Matters (First paragraph in Grabe & Stoller, 2001, paraphrased): Reading is the most important skill. Central means for learning new information Foundation for synthesis and critical evaluations skills The primary means for independent learning Improves language abilities (e.g., writing, vocab)

3 Issues in L2 Reading Some of the challenges for the L2 reader
Smaller lexicon (“need more words” phenomenon) False cognates Complexity and vocab level of written (over) spoken texts Motivation to read, topic interest (level of aesthetic stimulation compared to other activities) Available time (especially for adult learners) Reading speed Compatibility of L1–L2 script Ability to accept that not all learners develop reading skills or acquire new vocabulary at the same rate

4 … use lots of (metacognitive) strategies!
Good readers … Draw on background and schema knowledge as they read Are more global or top-down in their approach Make predictions as they read Visualize the events of a text as they read Recognize confusion as they read Recognize a text's structure/organization as they read Identify/recognize a purpose for reading Monitor their strategy use according to the purpose for reading the text Take more action to solve miscomprehension problems Make better use of cognates between languages and have more vocabulary knowledge Make better and more frequent inferences (bridging & elaborative) as they read (also a sign of interactive reading) Are more proficient in their L2 writing. … use lots of (metacognitive) strategies!

5 Reading Subskills Vocabulary Development Careful Reading
Text structure awareness Graphic Organizers Strategic Reading Fluency Development Extensive Reading Motivation Integrated-skill tasks

6 Some Findings from Reading Research with Implications for Teaching
Reading is not a linear process: Readers (should) make and test hypotheses and predictions (i.e., they interact [??] with what they are reading). So what? Texts with high-interest content are more engaging and facilitate comprehension. Pre-reading activities can compensate for a lack of background knowledge or existing schema.

7 Some more Reading Research Findings with Implications for Teaching
L2 readers differ from L1 readers in several ways: They Read more slowly Monitor their comprehension more slowly Make more and longer eye gaze fixations Experience more miscues related to function words Recall fewer subordinate ideas from a text Make more inferencing errors May use fewer or more ineffective strategies, and may not be able to alter their ineffective strategies (w/o help).

8 Theoretical Perspectives on Reading (a continuum)
Macro Approach Top-down processing; global Emphasizes initial role of conceptual knowledge; “meaning first”; whole-language – words are recognized in context. Emphasis on contextual support; use of formal & content schemata to predict & then read to confirm or correct predictions. Micro Approach Bottom-up processing Linear build-up: Letters  word meaning  sentences; phonics approach (PRECIOUS) Decontextualized: Involves decoding (based on sound-grapheme correspondence) Using context may be viewed as a compensatory strategy for poor decoding skills.

9 Maximizing Learners’ Reading Comprehension
Provide as much nonverbal support for reading comprehension as possible, including pictures, diagrams, real objects, gestures, acting, and graphic organizers. Explicitly teach comprehension strategies, such as reader-generated questions, summarizing, and monitoring comprehension. Plan interactive activities around reading and interpreting texts.

10 Stages of Reading Instruction

11 Reading Strategies: Pre-Reading
Provide direct explanation of strategies such as predicting from context. Try to “de-program” learners away from ineffective reading strategies (e.g., looking up every unfamiliar word). Suggest that older learners monitor the effectiveness of their strategies and try different approaches.

12 Reading Strategies: During Reading
During-reading strategies (provide modeling through think-alouds & practice) Self-questioning Monitoring comprehension Predicting meaning from context Predicting meaning from structural knowledge Selective dictionary use Marking off subtopics; highlighting key information

13 Reading Activities Reading/Writing Workshops: Organization
Whole-group activities: Begins with a focused ‘minilesson’ Often used as a time for direct instruction, e.g., building background, strategies, discussion of common errors, etc. Small-group activities Discussions, projects, writing Individual activities Reading, individual conferences with teacher (e.g., writing) Outside class Additional reading, ongoing response journal, writing assignment.

14 Reading Activities: Post-Reading
A few post-reading activities: Story reconstruction: select sentences from the passage, reorder them, then have students put them in a logical order to create a coherent story. Story retelling: lower level students can demonstrate comprehension through drawing pictures. Crossword puzzles based on stories – to review vocabulary Lyrics of a song that tell a related story, e.g., folk songs Memory recall is enhanced when words are combined with melody. Creating/completing a cloze passage based on a text Synonym substitution activity for underlined words Writing by individual students or groups on a related topic or continuing the story presented in the reading materials Readers’ theater: beginning readers can act out a story they have read or listened to. Intermediate readers can create a script related to the story content.

15 Reading Activities: Post-Reading (cont.)
Story Mapping Uses the story grammar or basic structure, which may include features such as the major characters, goal, obstacle, and resolution; good for summarizing story Example: from The Three Little Pigs (Then repeat from the perspective of the wolf?) Someone Wants But So the pigs - to build strong houses - to be safe from the wolf wolf blows down house pigs boil wolf in water & live happily ever after

16 Choosing Texts / Considerations for Readability (a subjective task)
Length Level of vocabulary Purpose/audience Sentence complexity Topic! State curriculum Classics!? Readability statistics? (Word has a tool for this: Check grammar with spelling  check box show readability statistics)


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