Learning to read = reading to learn

Wendy Arnoldarnoldworld@gmail.com

14th July, 2010ETAI - ISRAEL

OverviewPart i)Identifying reading strategiesPart ii)Developing learner

materials to use as reading resources

Part iii)Applying reading strategies

Part i) Reading strategies

• THINK-PAIR-SHARE-SMALL GROUP

What do you think?How do learners learn to read?

Identifying reading strategies

• Semantics – making meaning from text eg.THINK-PAIR-SHARE

Once upon a time there was a fungo who lived in a huy singo.

The huy singo was built high up in some grantins.

READ the text. What is this about?

Identifying reading strategies• Semantics – making meaning from text and

visuals

The fungo’s huy singo was very deep.It had to climb up the high grantinsquickly so that the tinnies did noteat it!

Identifying reading strategies• Syntactic – grammar

Once upon a time there was awhite fungo. It could run fast.

THINK-PAIR-SHARE Learning point?Adjective + nounVerb + adverb

Identifying reading strategies

THINK-PAIR-SHAREYou have used two processes which are

necessary for reading.DECODING = saying wordsENCODING = making meaningCan you have encoding without decoding?CAUTION: reading out words DOES NOT MEAN

UNDERSTANDING THEM

Identifying reading strategies

• Graphophonic = linking letter and sound.

Understanding that not every word in English can be ‘sounded out’ but it is a good place to start!

Why do we need phonics?

‘ … phonics is key to learning to read and spell (decoding and encoding print) …’

Washtell (2008)

What teachers need before teaching phonemic awareness

An understanding between the difference of teaching the alphabet/letter names and the phoneme sounds of the letters

An understanding that young learners need to have explicit instruction on making a connection between the symbols/letters and sounds

An understanding that young learners need a FLOOD of opportunities to LISTEN and SPEAK

What teachers need before teaching phonemic awareness?

There are phonological differences between L1, L2+ e.g. extra sounds

There may be differences between how phonological differences are represented as symbols e.g. Hebrew script and English

Children need to hear a word in order to build up their listening database and so they can say it

What teachers need before teaching phonemic awareness?

Children need to be able to hear and blend the sounds in words in order to be able to say unknown words when they read them

Children need to be able to hear and segment the sounds in words in order to be able to write words

If children can read words they are more likely to be able to write them meaningfully!

What teachers need before teaching phonemic awareness?

Children need to learn about phonemic awareness using multi-sensory teaching

Children have different learning styles e.g. visual, auditory, kinesthetic

Visual learners need a combination of text, visuals, watching others

Auditory learners need a combination of listening to stories, questions, drama

Kinesthetic learners need a combination of role play, mime, drama, following instructions

Something to consider about language learning ….

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

read write say hear

You need to …… a word before you can ….. itYou need to ….. a word before you can …. itYou need to …. a word before you can …. It(Linse 2005)

14

You need toHEAR

a word before you canSAY

it

WHY?15

You need toSAY

a word before you canREAD

itWHY?

16

You need toREAD

a word before you canWRITE

itWHY?

17

Identifying decoding strategies

• Graphophonic can be divided into 3 sections

1)Synthetic phonics = each letter has a sound

2)Analytic phonics = seeing patterns in words

3)Whole words = high frequency words which need to be memorised

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii

ce ge

ci gi

ch gh

Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qu/qu Rr

rhph

Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww

wh

Xx Yy Zz

sh th

SYNTHETIC PHONICS

Lessons to be learnt from classrooms in the UK

• Phase 1 – focus on listening e.g.- songs, stories, rhymes- distinguish between speech

sounds- blend and segment orally- introduce rhyming words

First letters to be learnt and order

Set 1 s a t pSet 2 i n m dSet 3 g o c kSet 4 ck e u rSet 5 h b f/ff l/ll s/ss

Rationale for decoding symbols

Blending is for readingSegmenting is for

spelling/writing

Sound talk strategy - blending

a t. .

Sound talk

chop__ . .

light. ___ .

Blending sounds for reading

di

plo

do

cus

di plo do cus

Segmenting sounds for writing

stegosaurusHow many syllables can you hear?Clap them!

Where do the syllables fall?

Understanding the high frequency words that need to be learnt

the that not look put

and with them don’t could

a all were come house

to we go will old

said can little Into too

in are as back by

he up no from day

I had mum children made

of my one him time

it her then Mr. I’m

High frequency wordswas what do get if

you there me just help

they out down now Mrs.

on this dad came called

she have big oh here

is went when about off

for be It’s got asked

at like see their saw

his some looked people make

but so very your an

Masterson, J Stuart, M Dixon M Lovejoy S (2003) Children’s Printed Word Database: Economic & Social Research Council funded project R00023406 - Primary National Strategy UK

Part ii) Developing learner materials to use as reading resources

Fiction/story – pictures only

Non-fiction/information – pictures only

TASK: make your own nonfiction book.

Developing learner materials to use as reading resources

TASK: Read the text in small groups. Look at the pictures as a source of context.

Developing learner materials to use as reading resources

THEORY:If a learner can write language then they can read it. By reading the text they have written they are making meaning and developing their language ability.

Developing learner materials to use as reading resources

THEORY:If a learner has written language it is ‘high interest’ and at the ‘right level’ for them.

Developing learner materials to use as reading resources

THEORY INTO PRACTICETASK:Write sentences to match your pictures.Read your text to a partner. Listen to a partner. Read a partners text.

Part iii) Applying reading strategies

THINKRead the text silently.Do you understand what it is about?

THINK-PAIRCan you explain it to a partner?

04/12/23 34

Although some glial cells have voltage-gated ion channels in their membranes, glial cells generally do not produce action potentials and their role in the nervous system has long been a puzzle. One suggestion has been that glial cells help to regulate the concentration of K+ and the pH in the extracellular fluid of the nervous system.

Part A)

04/12/23 35

Part B)

Glial cell membranes are highly permeable to K+ and adjacent glial cells are often electrically coupled by junctions that allow K+ to flow between them. This flux permits glial cells to take up and redistribute extracellular K+, which otherwise could build up to high concentrations in narrow extracellular spaces following activity in neurons.

04/12/23 36

THINK

What language skills are you

using?04/12/23 37

PAIR

Work with a partner.

Take it in turns.

Read the text out to each other.

04/12/23 38

Although some glial cells have voltage-gated ion channels in their membranes, glial cells generally do not produce action potentials and their role in the nervous system has long been a puzzle. One suggestion has been that glial cells help to regulate the concentration of K+ and the pH in the extracellular fluid of the nervous system.

Part A)

04/12/23 39

Part B)

Glial cell membranes are highly permeable to K+ and adjacent glial cells are often electrically coupled by junctions that allow K+ to flow between them. This flux permits glial cells to take up and redistribute extracellular K+, which otherwise could build up to high concentrations in narrow extracellular spaces following activity in neurons.

04/12/23 40

Reading out loud - SHARE

What does the text mean?How does it feel to read?Can you understand what you

are reading?What are you missing?

04/12/23 41

THINK

What language skills are you

using?04/12/23 42

Now read this text to yourself

Glial cells are found in the brain.There are five types of glial cells.They are not nerve cells.Neurons transmit nerve messages.Glial cells are in direct contact withneurons and often surround them.

04/12/23 43

Look at the picture

Glial cells

04/12/23 44

Aiding comprehensible inputTHINK-PAIR-SHARE

Now what can you explain aboutglial cells?Where can you find them?What do glial cells do?What helped you understand

better?

04/12/23 45

THINK-SHARE

What language skills are you

using?04/12/23 46

Conclusion

4) They need to HEAR words before they can .... them

5) They need to SAY words before they can .... them

6) They need to READ words before they can ... them

7) A mixed ability class is an advantage because ...

Learners need EXPLICIT instruction on:1)Graphophonics or sounds so YL can BLEND sounds and read words2)Semantics so YL can MAKE MEANING3)Syntactics so YL can be accurate in speaking and writing

BUT

Conclusion

Time to reflect 3…2…1…

3 things I remember

2 ideas I could adapt

1 question I have

Thank youWendy ArnoldInvitation to all to join IATEFL YLT SIG discussion group – Just send an empty message to:younglearners-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

References

Kelly, A (2008)’How we got to where we are’ in J.Graham & A. Kelly (Eds) Reading Under Control 3rd edition. Oxon:Routledge

Linse, C (2005) Young Learners. New York:McGraw HillPrimary National Strategy UK – Letters and sounds: principles and practice of

high quality phonics/ 6 Phase teaching programme. http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/84969

Vance, M http://www.ican.org.uk/talkingpoint/related%20topics/language%20and%20literacy/the%20role%20of%20speech%20discrimination.aspx

Washtell, A (2008) ‘Getting to grips with phonics’ in J. Graham & A. Kelly (Eds) Reading under control 3rd edition. Oxon:Routledge