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how to teachreading

unit 5 – how to teach reading

scanning

skimming

reading

contents

unit 5how to teachreading

in this unit:

Learn how to create activities which teach reading

Learn how to teach students to scan, skim and read

how to teachreading

For this �fth unit we will review how teachers can help students learn to scan, skim and read for full comprehension.

how to teachreading

Reading for ESL students is decidedly more

involved than simply reviewing a text and

gleaning information.

Reading is a crucial part of learning a

language as it provides a visual aid, whereby

you can see the spelling and form of the

words you are learning, as well as the different

ways grammar structures can be employed.

Although reading to oneself may improve

cognitive skills, reading aloud can really

improve fluency and intonation.

When students learn a new language they

must be able to

Scan the text for different parts, such as

different cases or different adjectives

Skim the text, trying to get just a general

idea about the meaning of the text

Read the text for comprehension where

they can search for something in the

sentences

teaching the principles of teaching reading

The first principle is that reading is an

active skill. Understanding the content

requires active reading, not passive

review.

Students need to be engaged with the

content they are reading. If they are not

engaged, they will revert to passive

reading.

Students need to be encouraged in the

classroom to respond to the reading, in

context and language. Students need

to be allowed to show their feelings

towards different texts too.

Prediction plays a role in reading. If

someone has an idea about the

content before they read, it will help

them to understand it.

For example: headlines, photographs

along the side, and book covers can all

offer a hint as to what the content will

be. It is up to the teacher to provide

these hints.

Reading must be matched to the

activity in the classroom.

For example: if students are reading a

list of cooking ingredients, they might

be trying to retain new vocabulary

pertaining to cooking and the home.

Good teachers will exploit any piece of

reading to its fullest.

For example: have students read the

same text and look for single words,

search for a description, highlight new

vocabulary, and even search for larger

meaning. Integrate the text and its

content into the larger classroom

activities.

readingsequences

When students are learning new vocabulary, the reading

sequence plays an important role. When students are first

introduced to a new piece of text, they should complete

different activities associated with it.

For example: after reading a discussion about a cleaning

service, the students might first answer questions about

the text to gauge comprehension. They might, next, match

the new vocabulary from that reading to the definitions.

Then they might fill in the blank for sentences similar to

those in the reading, using the right verbs to complete the

sentence. They might instead, if they are learning tenses,

convert the sentences in the text into another tense.

There are so many reading options available for teachers

including

1. Instructions for a simple operation, which

they must place in the correct order

2. Small adverts for a vacation, which

they have to then use to book a

reservation

3. Recipes, which include instructions

that students must follow

4. Extractions from a news report,

which they have to be sure to

understand

5. Descriptions of jobs, where they

have to guess the job from the description

6. Narratives with missing endings, which they

have to create themselves

tips for activitiesTry to regularly introduce reading in classes so students become accustomed to it. If it is a

habit in the class, it is more likely they will make it one of their own study habits. Reading

activities do not have to take a whole class. In fact, this type of lesson planning could make

the lesson boring so try to introduce reading as either a short activity or a longer one broken

up by other short speaking activities or games.

Make sure you choose the reading material appropriately. If it is a lower level class you

should probably write it yourself and that way you know it is suitable for their level. Learners

above beginner level may be craving something more interesting in which case you may

want to take a news article or magazine piece, but be sure to check it for words that are

superfluous for their level, or grammar and expressions which will be too difficult for them.

You can edit a text to be simpler but always reference the original source, not only for

copyright reasons but also so the students can read the unabridged article if they want.

Reading can be incorporated into many other activities.

Gap-filling exercises may focus on vocabulary or grammar but they inevitably also involve

reading, testing comprehension.

Activities to match slips of information also incorporates a good amount of reading. You may

just set a vocabulary exercise where the students match words with their meanings, but you

could also set a more developed activity, such as matching questions and answers or two

parts of a sentence, focusing on grammar and comprehension.

Writing a story out on slips of paper and shuffling them before requiring students to put them

back in the right order is a great activity for testing students’ logic and comprehension.

phoneticsAt beginner levels, there will be some need for the teacher to tell students how to

pronounce words, but it is better for the teacher to coax these words out. For example, for

the word ‘triangle’, a student may struggle to pronounce the full word, but it is better for the

teacher to hint the first syllable ‘tri’ rather than instructing the student to copy them saying

the whole word. This way the student is cognitively engaged.

You may find students are already decent readers and have a grasp of the sounds in

English. However, you may be teaching beginners or children who are new to the language.

To teach these students, you will need to understand phonetics.

Many adults will be satisfied with using phonetic symbols to look up words and find out

how to pronounce them. Teachers do not necessarily need to know them all, but it helps to

know some key ones. You can find a table of the phonetic symbols below.

phonics

Alternatively, you can introduce the

‘phonics’ teaching method, especially

when teaching children.

The general concept in using phonics is

to introduce the sounds related to the

spelling of words. This is particularly

useful for vowel sounds. As an example,

let’s take the ‘ee’ sound in sheep. The

symbol for this is /i/. However, children

(and adults) may find this confusing so

they learn the sound in its practical uses

and common words instead: ‘ee’ as in

‘keep’; ‘eat’ as in ‘seat’. The system is

great for differentiating between long and

short sounds which adults often have

difficulty with. For example,

‘ship’/’sheep’.

Phonics is a whole teaching system in

itself but with good materials and

understanding of the concept, even

when used simply it can improve reading

greatly. You will find it is particularly

useful for children, but only for adults

who are struggling with English, its

sounds and reading them.

For a general introduction and

recommendation of materials visit

https://www.theguardian.com/education

/teacher-blog/2013/apr/01/

phonics-teaching-resources-schools

Reading offers a chance to learn how to scan, skim, and fully comprehend material

Teachers must incorporate the six principles for teaching reading for classroom success

Teachers must �nd many reading opportunities for students, with corresponding activities designed to exploit the fullest understanding

summary

worksheetunit 5

Describe the six principles of reading.

Explain how teachers help students scan, skim, or read for full comprehension.

In your own words, describe reading sequences.