SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE READING STRATEGY

 

Reading strategies are....


Research shows us that…

  • There is a relationship between language proficiency and strategy use.

  • Successful learners use strategies more frequently.

  • Successful learners use a wider range of strategies.

So, it makes sense for teachers to encourage learners to expand their strategy repertoires and to make frequent use of the strategies that they have at their disposal in order to maximize their chances of success.

SORS (Survey Of Reading Strategies)

As an L2 teacher, at the beggining of the year, I prepared a SORS (Survey Of Reading Strategies).

The purpose of this survey is to collect information about the techniques my students use when they read academic materials in (English).

Here is the SORS. You can download it if you need it. Just click here.


After taking this survey, I present the reading strategies that we are going to use during the course. Then, we choose a place in the class to hang them. Furthermore, I give each student a check list with all the different strategies so they can note everytime we use them.

Here you can find the three poster that I use in my class with all the reading strategies that we work during the course.









But, when and how do we use this reading strategies?

Teachers select a variety of text with different formats and structures to work in the class. Then, depending on the text the students think which are the suitable strategies to use in this text. Next, they apply the choosen strategies while they read it. Finally, we talk about which are the best strategies to use with this kind of reading.

 What type of texts do you use it with?

There are differents types of text. The more variety the more they will lear to apply these strategies. These are some exameples: description, storytelling, news, comics, essays, reports, anecdots, reviews, instructions, etc...

How do the students work, individually, in pairs, in groups?

Depending on the programme activity, but we use to keep a daily routine.

First, we all talk about the text. I read the text slowly so they can pay attention to the correct pronunciation.

Second, each student choose his strategies and read it.

Third, we divided the text in paragraphs and they read in pairs. Whilst one reads, the other has to keep the reading and pay attention to the pronunciation. If he or she listens some errors on the pronunciation he or she corrects it.

Finally, individually they answer some questions about reading comprehension. Then, they review them with their partners.  

 How much preparation is necessary on the teacher´s part? (We all like to save time…)

On the teacher´s part is necessary so much preparation because there are many things to do:

- You have to prepare the SORS and poster.

- You have to analyze the strategies that they use and write down what strategies are used by each student.

- You have to register what strategies are the students using and how they use them.

- You have to think what kinds of texts are you going to use according to the UDI you are working on.

- You have to look for different types of texts.

- You have to read them to see if the vocabulary is proper for their age.

- You have to prepare them (download, edit, insert pictures, change the size and type of letters, etc...).

- You have to prepare the questions.

- You have to adapt these text for the students with difficulties on reading comprehension.

- You have to make photocopies.

- You have to use them in class.

- You have to correct them and register the strategies they used.  


TYPES OF ACTIVITIES WE DO

2. Pre-reading phase

Pre-Reading Goals and Objectives

  • Establish reading purpose

  • Tap prior knowledge

  • Provide information needed for comprehension (e.g. vocabulary, background)

  • Set up expectations

  • Stimulate interest

  • Build confidence and motivation

  • Explain or support text organisation

  • Model common strategies used at this stage

 

Example Activities

  • Use key words to predict the content

  • Brainstorm ideas

  • Pre-teach vocabulary

  • Activate background knowledge through questions or discussions

  • Use pictures and diagrams to make predictions, elicit vocabulary


3. Whilst-reading phase

Whilst-Reading Goals and Objectives

  • Guide reading to facilitate comprehension.

  • Help students construct meaning and monitor comprehension.

  • Give students opportunities to connect what is read with what is known; to evaluate what is being read.

  • Provide opportunities for fluency development.

  • Support ongoing summarisation.

  • Model common strategies used at this stage.

Example Activities

After students have reached about the halfway point in a reading passage, or at another convenient point, the teacher asks students to do one or more of the following during-reading tasks:


  • List the three most important points from the text.

  • Consider whether predictions made during the pre-reading stage of the lesson have been met; make new predictions about the next part of text.

  • Fill in a partially completed outline of the first part of the text.

  • Complete a graphic organiser that is reflective of the first part of the text or some specific paragraph (e.g. a timeline for a chronological text, a Venn diagram for a compare and contrast passage).

  • Match statements that illustrate relationships introduced in the text (e.g. cause–effect, problem–solution, fact–opinion, pros–cons, stated–inferred).

  • Complete a true/false task about the text.

  • Write a summary to that point in the text.

  • Write two questions that you hope and /or expect will be answered in the next part of the text.

  • Identify five vocabulary items: two that you understand and perceive to be critical for text comprehension; three that you don’t understand but that you perceive as important for text comprehension.

  • Distinguish between main ideas and supporting details.

  • Compare what has been read with what is known.

  • Evaluate the value of text information.

  • Examine a difficult paragraph to extract more detailed information.


4. Post-reading phase

Post-Reading Goals and Objectives

  • Check comprehension.

  • Explore how text organisation supports comprehension.

  • Consolidate learning.

  • Provide opportunities for students to summarise, synthesise, evaluate, elaborate, integrate, extend and apply text information.

  • Give students the chance to critique the author and aspects of the text (e.g. writing, content).

  • Establish and recognise comprehension successes.

  • Model common strategies used at this stage.

 

Example Activities

Different types of post-reading questions:

Apply                     

How can the author’s solutions be used to solve our own community’s traffic problems?

Connect                   

How does this discussion of uranium mining connect to the video we saw on coal mining? and to the newspaper article we read on solar energy?

Critique author          

Has the author persuaded you of her position? Do you agree or disagree with the author’s position? Why?

Evaluate/judge          

In your opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of wind power?

Expand                    

What qualities do you want in a new president?

Explain                    

Why was the concert cancelled?

Identify a detail         

Name two ways that you can recycle plastic bags.

Infer                        

What do you think the hitchhiker is carrying in his bag? Why?

Integrate                  

Based on what you’ve learned in Chapters 1 and 2, what is the ideal job?

Interpret                  

What is the worst thing about being a brain surgeon?

Personalise               

What is the housing situation in your country?

Predict                    

What do you think is going to happen next?

Restate                    

What did the author say about flying on trans-Atlantic flights?

Revisit expectations    

Were our original predictions about this reading pre-reading correct. Explain.

Summarise               

What is the main idea of the passage?








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