TEACHING READING

Purpose of Reading

• To Look for Information

  • Intensive Reading: Focus on details (no reading aloud).

• To Entertain Ourselves

  • Extensive Reading: Involves reading aloud, with possible pronunciation corrections.

Importance of Reading as a Skill

• Provides access to information.

• Essential for critical and creative thinking.

• Expands vocabulary and deepens knowledge.

Steps for Teaching Reading

1. Pre-Reading Focus Activity

• Use Pre-Questions or focus questions; write on board and include in lesson plan.

• Set a time for reading.

• Brainstorm ideas related to the text.

• Activate learners’ schemata:

  • Activities:

    • Semantic mapping

    • Previewing title to make predictions

    • Vocabulary exploitation

    • Picture stimulus

    • Theme discussions

    • Speed chatting (prepare relevant questions)

    • Brainstorming.

2. While-Reading Stage

• Have students read with a purpose/task:

  • Tasks focused on:

    • Fast reading for gist (skimming).

    • Fast reading for specific details (scanning).

    • General meaning comprehension.

    • Intensive understanding of text (including finer points).

    • Individual language items.

• Participate in a jigsaw activity: break text into smaller parts for group work.

3. Post-Reading Activities

• Engage in follow-up tasks:

  • Role play, debate, writing, personalization.

  • Writing Tasks:

    • Write a summary (for advanced students).

    • Encourage discussions about the topic.

    • Play games related to text topics.

    • Conduct further research/project.

    • Retell information (close textbook and summarize content).

    • Create an outline.

    • Write questions (text-based or open-ended).

    • Imagine a different ending to the text in a story format.