Extensive reading program

Providing alternative curricula for reluctant adult readers

Doreen Ewert, University of San Francisco Heidi Vellenga, The Pennsylvania State University

ENGLISH USA Professional Development Conference, January 23-24, 2014

San Francisco, CA

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

This session provides the rationale and design of extensive reading courses or course components being implemented in several intensive and matriculated English programs in the US, as well as results of studies investigating their effectiveness. Participants will receive handouts to assist in starting an ER program.

The basic problem

“Students learning to read a second language do not read, and they do not like to read.”

(Eskey, 1986, cited in Day & Bamford, 1998, p. 4).

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Five Processes of Reading (Rauding Theory) Memorizing (slow with many repetitions

for memory) Learning (not as slow but some repetition

for learning) Rauding (moderate speed with little

repetition for sufficient comprehension—fluent silent reading)

Skimming (quick pace with no repetition for overall meaning)

Scanning (fast pace skipping to find specific information)

R. Carver (2000)

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Extensive Reading Definition

Reading quickly large amounts of easy, varied, and interesting self-selected material.

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

Development of positive attitude/motivation for L2 reading. Development of sight words (over-learning for automaticity). Development of general vocabulary knowledge. Development of different knowledge types

Other Names for ER

◦ Abundant reading ◦ Sustained Silent Reading ◦ Pleasure Reading ◦ Free Voluntary Reading ◦ Supplementary Reading ◦ Book Flood

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Intensive vs. Extensive Reading

Adapted from Day & Bamford, 1998.

Type of Reading Intensive Reading Extensive Reading

Class goal • read accurately • read fluently

Reading purpose • answer questions • study

• get information • enjoy

Focus • words • pronunciation • meaning

Material • teacher chooses • often difficult

• student chooses • easy

Amount • not much • a lot

Speed • slower • faster

Method • must finish • use dictionary

• stop if you don’t like it • no dictionary

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Characteristics of an Extensive Reading Program (Day & Bamford, 1998, p. 7-8)

1. Students read as much as possible, perhaps in and definitely out of the classroom.

2. A variety of materials on a wide range of topics is available so as to encourage reading for different reasons and in different ways.

3. Students select what they want to read and have the freedom to stop reading materials that fails to interest them.

4. The purposes of reading are usually related to pleasure, information, and general understanding. These purposes are determined by the nature of the material and the interests of the student.

5. Reading is its own reward. There are few or no follow-up exercises after reading.

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10 principles Pure ER

Modified ER Many principles

ER Light Some principles

0 principles Not ER

Characteristics of an Extensive Reading Program (Day & Bamford, 1998, p. 7-8)

6. Reading materials are well within the linguistic competence of the students in terms of vocabulary and grammar. Dictionaries are rarely used while reading because the constant stopping to look up words makes fluent reading difficult.

7. Reading is individual and silent, at the student’s own pace, and, outside class, done when and where the student chooses.

8. Reading speed is usually faster rather than slower as students read books and other material they find easily understandable.

9. Teachers orient students to the goals of the program, explain the methodology, keep track of what each student reads, and guide students in getting the most out of the program.

10. The teacher is a role model of a reader for students—an active member of the classroom reading community, demonstrating what it means to be a reader and the rewards of being a reader.

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What are the benefits of ER? ◦ better readers (Flahive & Bailey, 1993; Tsang, 1996)

◦ better writers (Elley & Mangubhai, 1983; Janopoulos, 1986; Tsang, 1996)

◦ improved listening and speaking abilities (Elley, 1991)

◦ richer vocabulary (Horst, Cobb, & Meara, 1998; Lao & Krashen, 2000; Pulido, 2003;

Waring & Takaki, 2003)

◦ increased motivation to read (McQuillan, 1994; Pillgreen & Krashen, 1993; Takase, 2009)

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ER Program Models

• Self-access learning • Course component • Elective course • Stand-alone course

(low intermediate level or higher)

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Self-Access

Resource Center Voluntary Book Club ◦ training and assistance needed

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Course Component ER included during class time ER only done out of class (Moodle Reader?) Modified ER (ER training) ◦ Everyone reads the same (easy) text and

instructor models way of reading for pleasure and general understanding ◦ Small groups read the same (easy) text and

engage in a “book chat” about the text ◦ Each student reads a unique (easy) text and small

groups engage in a “book chat”

Stand-Alone Course

Elective or Required

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Placement EPER (Edinburg Project on Extensive

Reading)/ other placement tools under development

Process ◦ Placement Test ◦ Students self-select texts ◦ Students read at least 10 books at a level before

moving to the next level ◦ Self-selection Process (in libraries – not ER-

cataloged books) Look at the cover, title page Read a page in the middle at random If it seems too difficult, choose another book

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Syllabus excerpt ◦ CHOOSE what you read. ◦ Choose EASY material. ◦ Read for general meaning, information,

and enjoyment. (No dictionary!) ◦ Enjoy! ◦ Enjoy! ◦ Enjoy!

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Grading PASS/FAIL format: 25% Extensive Reading Log (ER log) 25% Extensive Reading Journal (based on total number of pages written) 25% Self Evaluation

25% Attendance and Participation *consider the effects of pass/fail grading on student progression from one level to the next

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Sample Schedule Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

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Extensive Reading Logs

Name_________________ Class___________

Title EPER level or ‘library’

In class time

At home time

Level: easy, okay, difficult

Opinion: good, fair, poor

The Long Road

EPER B 20 min. 15 min. Easy fair

Peanuts Library book

30 min. 15 min. 25 min.

Okay good

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

Goggle docs or CMS device

ER Log 2.0

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Journal 1 Prompts How do you feel about reading in your first

language? What is your past experience in reading in

English? What is your goal for this Extensive Reading

class? What did you think about the visit to the Education Library?

How did you feel when choosing books at the library?

What is Extensive Reading?

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Journal 4 Prompts What did you think of (insert the library or

location name)? What did you think of the Book Chat? Write about the books that you are reading. Has your reading changed during this

session? What kinds of books do you like to read? What would you tell a friend about ER/ this

class?

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Setting up an ER program

Buy-in ◦ Faculty ◦ Students

Placement Materials ◦ Books ◦ Cataloging

Space ◦ Storage ◦ Reading

locations Logistics ◦ Book

distribution ◦ Library visits

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Logistics- book delivery 4A 4B 4C 4D

Class 1

Class 2 ER (Teacher 1-Room 1)

Class 3 ER (Teacher 2- Room 1)



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Support for ER with local data Does our ER course benefit the learners? ◦ Will our students be motivated to read more on their

own? ◦ Will general or specific aspects of their proficiency grow?

Will we be able to measure/identify changes? ◦ It’s hard to measure incidental and incremental learning ◦ We cannot control for all other sources of learning

especially in an SL context. ◦ L2 adults are harder to “control” than L1/L2 children. ◦ By definition, the students should not be tested. ◦ Ethically, we had to give ER to all the students, so no

control group was possible.

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Study Design Recruitment of IEP Students (Level 4 of 7) ◦ May 2003 through June 2011 (13 7-week sessions) ◦ Total number of students included: 291

Data Collection ◦ Pre and Post EPER Diagnostic Test (E.P.E.R. 2009) ◦ Institutional test scores (in-house placement/exit + ITP TOEFL) ◦ Motivation Survey (Komiyama, 2009) ◦ Reading Journals ◦ Reading Logs ◦ Motivation Self-Report ◦ Delayed post course questionnaire (dropped)

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Paired-sample T-tests

Pre-EPER Test Post-EPER Test n** M (min-max) SD M (min-max) SD Average Gain

216 41.7 (7-60) 10.2 47.5 (19-64) 9.1 6.4*

p<0.05

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Pre and post E.P.E.R tests

*p<0.05 **1 student started and stayed in Level E

Pre-EPER Test Post-EPER Test Starting

Level n** M (min-max) SD M (min-max) SD Average

Gain

A 17 18.2 (7-25) 5.71 29.2 (19-42) 6.93 11*

B 16 29.3(26-32) 2.06 37.7 (32-46) 4.01 8.3*

C 100 40.3 (33-45) 3.62 46.6 (30-60) 5.98 6.6*

D 82 50.8 (46-59) 3.71 54.3 (42-64) 4.71 5*

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Institutional Test Scores

In-house Placement Test with ER, 13 7-week sessions)

*p<0.05

n M SD Average Gain

Pre 222 20.3 4.92 Post 222 20.9 5.15 5.13*

TOEFL IPT Score (Level 4 with ER) n M SD Average Gain

Pre 122 40.0 4.97 Post 122 39.9 6.18 -0.1

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Reading Journal Themes How little had been read in

English prior to this class Surprise at the need for

easy texts Delight in reading complete

texts Positive attitude towards

reading generally Expressed desire to

continue such reading

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Results-based changes

Started an ER elective for high intermediate/low advanced students

Put a book chat earlier in the session to motivate more careful reading

Trained more teachers in the ER implementation

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Documents

Extensive reading program