Notes from Amy Roe’s lecture“Once Upon a Time: Reading and Collaborative Storytelling”
Roadmap
1. Research on Reading
2. Classroom Library
3. Collaborative Stories
4. Extensive Reading
Research on Reading
Terminology
1. SSR-Sustained Silent Reading
2. FVR-Free Voluntary Reading
3. Extensive Reading
The 3 Terms all mean students reading silently in class and choosing the books they read.
IF the teacher chooses a book and hands out to students,this is not SSR, FVR nor Extensive Reading.
10 Extensive Reading Principles
1. The reading material is easy.
Every time when the students come across a word they don’t know, they are pulled out of the story and it breaks the flow of the reading. When this happens repeatedly, reading won’t be enjoyable.
Input Hypothesis: Learners progress when they understand language slightly more advanced than their current level. i+1
Research on Reading: Learners should read books and other texts that are slightly below their current level. i-1
So, teach: i+1, read: i-1
In that case, students pick up the flow of written language and may acquire words like connectives or sentence structures even when they are reading books that are below their current level.
2. Variety of reading material on a wide range of topics.
It is difficult for teachers to find such comprehensive reading material, especially for beginner.
3. Learners choose what they want to read.
4. Learners read as much as possible.
5. Purpose: enjoyment, information, and general understanding.
6. Reading is its own reward.
We don’t give students points, or extra worksheets.
7. Reading speed is faster rather than slower.
8. Reading is individual and silent.
Teachers can ask students to read to each other or with each other, or share the interesting part of the book, but for most time, reading is individual and silent.
9. Teachers orient and guide their students.
If a student doesn’t know which book to read, the teacher can recommend a book which he/she may find interesting.
10. The teacher is a role model of a reader.
When students are reading, the teacher would sit down and read a book of second language or third language, modelling what’sit like to learn another language.
--Day & Bamford: Top Ten Reading Principles for Teaching Extensive Reading (2002)
Extensive Reading in German
Extensive Reading Program in Germany: a bridge for beginners and authentic texts for upper-level readers.
Amy Roe’s Personal Story: When she found she had a really difficult time in reading authentic books and poems, she began to read children’s books-plays-chapter books-teenager books-authentic children’s chapter books-authentic adult books.
Extensive reading allowed these learners to realize, as one respondent exclaimed: “I can do this!” (Jamie Rankin, 2005)
Research says that reading…
-is a powerful tool for language acquisition
-promotes vocabulary growth
-can lead to greater motivation than traditional methods
Challenge:
-Find reading materials
-Cost
-Time
Classroom Library
What can you buy for your classroom library?
Advantages of Picture Books:
-Simple texts and storylines
-Meaningful repetition
-Pictures reinforce meaning
Disadvantages of Picture Books:
-Low-frequency vocabulary
-For younger kids
Tips & Tricks:
Option 1: Picture Books
-Purchase wordless books.
-PictureTalk each page of the book.
-Create a story as a class.
-Type the story.
-Print it out.
-Paste it into the book.
OR:
-Rewrite the story using simple, high-frequency vocabulary.
-Print out the revised story.
-Print the text over the original text in the book.
-Credit for this idea: Bdote.
Option 2: Leveled Readers
E.g., Reading A-Z
-Intended for beginning readers (first language) (not language learners)
-Comprehensible
-Not always compelling
Option 3: Graded Readers
-Intended for language learners
-Comprehensible
-Sometimes compelling
-Usually include activities (The teacher can ignore the questions and asks the students to continue reading)
Option 4: Comic Books & Graphic Novels
-Compelling
-Fairly comprehensible
-Be careful of content
Classroom libraries are a long-term project.
Collaborative Stories
Stories the teacher and students have created together.
They are free and are one of the most popular books in classroom libraries, because:
1. Easy to read and comprehensible.
2. i+1, using all vocabulary they know.
3. Give students a sense of empowerment.
4. Have a personal connection, created by the whole class.
Collaborative stories include: TPRS, PictureTalk.
Other include:
Special Person:
It is a special way of creating stories with class.
Before class, teacher writes down questions on a poster.
Special person (a student) sits in a special teacher’s chair in front of the classroom.
Students ask questions, special person answers questions, and the teacher types the answer on poster template or write down the answer on the printed poster. The teacher can also take a picture of the special person and adds it on the poster.
1. The teacher hangs the poster in the hallway. Students can stop and read different posters.
2. The teacher puts another copy in classroom’s library.
Special Person Extension:
Ask a question that leads into a story.
Example: IF you could have any animal as a pet (real or imaginary), which animal would you choose?
-Character (student)
-Second character (pet)
-Ask questions
-Circle
-Personalize
Special person extension is less structured than a typical TPRS story (we don’t have an outline or target words) and it focuses on high-frequency words.
It is OK if the special person answers some questions in native language, the teacher can restate it in English.
Picture Story:
Before class, the teacher thinks of a classic story (e.g., Little Red Riding Hood), prepares a blank PowerPoint slide show, and images from the story, and students choose the images for the rest of story.
Google Image Search: Tools-Usage Rights-Reuse with Modification.
-Teacher uses TPRS skills to ask the story.
-Student actors (optional).
-Students choose pictures.
1. Introduce a character. E.g., little red riding hood.
2. Ask questions about the character.
-How old is she?
-What is she like? (loyal, outgoing,helpful, courageous)
-Does she have a pet?
-Where does she live?
3. The teacher points to the question of “where does she live?” and asks, “Does she live in a big house, a medium house or a small house?” etc.
The teacher googles, and students choose pictures for little red riding hood’s house.
4. The teacher puts the picture in the blank PowerPoint, adds little red riding hood in the image, and type the story in the slide.
5. Other images students might choose:
-Food: which little red riding hood brings to her grandma
-Forest: where she walks through
-Animals in the forest: she sees when she walks to her grandma’s house
-Grandma’s house
6. Use TPRS skills when asking questions.
7. Create a cover page with the title of the story.
8. Add all of your students’ names as authors.
9. Take a picture of the whole class. Add the picture to the front cover.
10. Print the story. Add it to your classroom’s library.
Project 1: Song Lyrics
-Create a slide show.
-Type 1-2 lines from a song onto eachslide.
-Print the slide show like a book.
-Students work in groups to illustrate the lyrics on each page.
-Laminate, staple and add to your classroom’s library.
Project 2: Rewrite a story
-Students rewrite a story with different characters.
-Give feedback.
-Students edit.
-Add the story to your classroom’s library.
Reading in Class
-Start with 5 minutes.
-Slowly build to 10-15 minutes.
-Read several times per week.
-Depending on the length, frequency of your class and students’ age.
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