Teaching Reading

Types of classroom reading performance Oral ReadingSilent:IntensiveExtensive: Linguistic / Content(Skimming, Scanning, Guided Reading)

Oral and silent reading

At the beginning and intermediate levels, oral reading is preferable. It can serve as an evaluative and as a pronunciation check. In advanced levels, usually silent reading is more practiced. It can highlight a certain short segment of the reading passage.

Silent reading may be subcategorised into intensive and extensive reading. Intensive reading is usually a classroom-oriented activity in which students focus on the linguistic or semantic details of a passage.

Intensive reading calls students' attention to grammatical forms, discourse markers, and other surface structure details for the purpose of understanding the content.

Extensive reading is carried out to achieve a general understanding of a usually longer text (book, long article, or essays, etc.). Most extensive reading is performed outside of class time. Pleasure reading is often extensive.

Types of Reading Activities Pre reading activities

While - reading activities

Post reading activities

Some Practical Hints in Teaching Reading Pre-Reading ActivitiesTask 1. Match titles to contents. The class is divided into 2 groups. The 1st group of pupils receive the titles of books or texts and the 2nd group receives the contents of books or texts. They have to write a brief description expressing what the book/text might be about or suggest titles to the content. They read out the sentences and decide on how to match contents to titles given by the teacher.

Task 2. Match titles to contents and to the beginning sentences of the texts or books.Task 3. Match titles to book covers or pictures.Task 4. Jigsaw reading: scramble the sentences of two texts, ask students to unscramble them and match with the titles or covers; ask them to arrange the sentences in a logical order.

Task 5. Show the students various books. - ask students to make up a short summary of the book; - invite them to make the presentation of the book; - ask to comment on the proverbs: Dont judge a book by its cover. Appearances are deceptive.(syn.deceiving)

Task 6. Pair work: Students have to match imaginary names of authors to imaginary titles of texts or books. Group work: Each group will choose an imaginary title to write a short presentation of the book or text (Synopsis). Read it aloud.

While -Reading Activities

Task 1. Try to guess what the text with the following title might be about.

Task 2. Write down the name of the main characters.

Task 3. Select or find some adjectives that describe the main characters (place, nature, weather)

Task 4. Make a list of the words you dont know.

Task 5. Work in pairs: Read, after each paragraph, discuss with your partner what happened and predict what may happen next.

Task 6. Stop reading at a crucial moment and analyze the situation from your point of view. What would you have done in that situation?

Post Reading Activities

Task 1. Choose a character. Tell the story from his/herpoint of view.Task 2. Identify figures of speech. Ask students to rewrite a paragraph using synonyms or antonyms of 5-10-15 selected words (depends on the level)

Task 3. Choose the favourite/best writer. Justify your choice. Make a list of top-ten writers.Task 4. Work out a Role-play or a Debate, analyze the characters actions in certain circumstances. Then discuss issues related to the society of those times versus contemporary society.

Role Play Conduct an interview or organize a press conference. Work in pair or group, some students will be characters in a book, others - reporters asking them about themselves and their actions. Be imaginative and open-minded.

Characters: - choose your favorite character and be prepared to answer the reporters questions; Reporters:- prepare questions(5-10) for the characters, - ask open-ended questions;

SkimmingSkimming is reading a text to get the gist, the basic overall idea, rather than concentrating on absorbing all the details. For instance, many people skim read a newspaper article just to get a quick overview, or a text could be skimmed to see whether it's worth reading in detail.

ScanningScanning is quickly looking over a text. Scanning a text is a reading technique where the reader looks for specific information rather than trying to absorb all the information. If you're reading a timetable, say, you want specific information usually and so look for something that is convenient for your journey plans- when you do this, you are scanning.

Feedback

Play some pleasant music . Students will write down the 1-st 10 words that come to their mind related to the activities they just did.

For the next class they have to write a short letter (to somebody / teacher) about the lesson using those words.

Curriculum connection

Pupils book, English for You 5-th form, unit 4, lesson 3; Topic: A Favouriote BookText: Mark Twain

group 1: - Pre reading activities group 2: - While reading activities group 3: - Post reading activities

Take time to read It is the source of knowledge!

Take the time to listen and hear It is the power of Intelligence