Reading in the English Classrooms

-Teachers’ Dialogues

English KLA Sharing session

4th December 2004

School-based Curriculum Development (Primary) Section

Curriculum Development Institute

Erh! How to say the following words?

- reading - Reading

The teaching of reading at Reading

adopts an integrative approach

Which University can be considered as the most

legitimate in the teaching of reading?

Yes, it’s

The University of Reading!

How does a proficient reader read?How does a proficient reader read?

• Activates prior knowledge & develops anticipation

• Predicts as he reads

• Decodes words instantaneously and reads in meaningful chunks

• Cross-checks cues and monitors his reading to make sense

• Re-reads, confirms, or self corrects the miscues

Making use of various cues to construct personal meaning

Core understandings about learning to read

• Reading is a construction of meaning from written text. It is an active, cognitive and affective process that involves complex thinking.

• Students need to be able to use semantic cues (background knowledge), syntactic cues (knowledge of language patterns) and graphophonic cues (knowledge of letters and sounds) in a coordinated and fluent manner to access meaning from print.

Reading is an extremely complex process. e.g.• See and perceive the

symbols• Follow the sequence

of words (L R)• Associate symbols

and sounds• Associate symbols

and meanings• Follow the

grammatical patterns• Relate ideas to past

learning/ experiences• Make inferences and

evaluate the ideas• Deal with personal

interests and attitudes that affect the task of reading

Put everything together to construct a personal meaning for the text.

Goal of reading –

Communication of thoughts and emotions between reader and writer.

• Students need to apply a wide range of reading strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate text.

• Motivation and engagement in the reading task are essential for success.

• Reading and writing are interconnected

• Background knowledge and prior experiences are critical to the reading process.

• Social interaction is essential in learning to read: thinking and talking promote students’ understanding.

• Students’ background knowledge of their first language facilitates the development of competency in reading.

• Literacy learning occurs both at home and at school and the connections between them enhances student learning.

Core understandings about teaching reading

Students learn best when teachers employ a variety of instructional approaches to model and demonstrate reading knowledge, strategy and skill.Reading skills and strategies need to be taught explicitly within the context of authentic reading and writing activities.Assessment and evaluation (teacher monitoring and students’ self-monitoring) inform instruction and are vital to student success.

Students need to learn how to read critically. The use of multiple resources and a wide variety of text fosters student interest and learning.

Students need to be immersed in rich literacy environments.

Students need extensive opportunities to read fiction, non-fiction and other forms of print.

Reading can lead students to develop an understanding of and respect for diverse cultures.Early intervention is critical to ensure success for students at risks

Components of a School – based English Language Curriculum

• General English Programme

• Reading Workshops

• Intervention Programme

• Enrichment Programme

Promoting Reading to Learn

• Strengthening ‘learning to read’

Developing pupils’ reading strategies by using effectiveapproaches and questioning techniques

Developing pupils’ vocabulary building skills

• Promoting a ‘reading to learn’ culture• Introducing a variety of text types

Teaching Strategies for Reading

IndependentReading

Storytelling

ReadingArea

SharedReading

SupportedReading

ReadingWorkshop

- Group 3 sharing- Group 3 sharing

Reading Workshops• Taking up about 40% of the English lesson time• Closely linked to the learning and teaching that take place in the

General English Programme• Adopting effective teaching strategies• Reading as a springboard for the development of higher order

thinking skills, creativity and other language skills• Providing coherent and connected learning experiences for the

children

• Developing in learners positive attitudes towards learning English• Providing opportunities for learner to take an active role in learning• Helping learners develop and practise reading skills through

reading ‘real books’.• Using real books of a variety of text types

Layout a good foundation for lifelong learning

Reading skills for KS1 (CG, pp.55-56)

Guess the meaning of unfamiliar words by using contextual or pictorial clues

Understand the connection between ideas by identifying cohesive devices, including connective and pronounsUnderstand the information provided on the book

cover, contents page and page numbers

Guess the topic and the likely development of the topic by using personal experiences and knowledge of the worldRecognize the format and language features of

some common text types, e.g. signs, stories

Locate specific information in a short text in response to questions

Recognize familiar words in new texts

Identify key words for the main idea in a sentence

Writing skills for KS1 (CG, pp.57-58)

Provide personal ideas and information based on a model or framework provided

Use appropriate formats and conventions of short written texts such as greeting cards, notes, personal letters, signs

Express imaginative ideas with the help of cues

Reproduce sentences based on teacher’s model

Making inference (“from 1pm to 4 pm”)

Locating specific information

Recognize the letter format

Locating specific information

Making inference (“I’ll be there at 12:55pm”)

Locating specific information

Making inference (My family => Mary’s family)

Locating specific information

Recognize the table format

Locating specific information

Locating specific information

Making inference (“She’ll join us.”)

Guess the meaning of unfamiliar words by using contextual or pictorial clues

Locating specific information

Making inference (“We’ll meet at the entrance of the zoo.”)

Understand the connection between ideas by identifying cohesive devices, including connective and pronouns

Recognize familiar words in new texts (“I’m too small.”)

Here, Hidden, Head (3H) StrategyHere : Locate the answer right there in the story, easy to

find. The words used to make the question and the words for making the answer are right there in the same sentence - Read the lines

Hidden: Think and search as the answer is there in the story but a little harder to find. You will not find the words in the questions and the words in the answer in the same sentence – Read between the lines

Head: Locate the answer on my own. The answer is not in the story but in my head – Read beyond the lines

Guess the meaning of unfamiliar words by using contextual or pictorial clues

Identify key words for the main idea in a sentence (“They have a big dinner.”)

Understand the connection between ideas by identifying cohesive devices, including connective and pronouns

Guess the topic and the likely development of the topic by using personal experiences and knowledge of the world

Express imaginative ideas with the help of cues

Writing to contextual cues – from reading to writing Writing to contextual cues – from reading to writing

- Group 5 sharing- Group 5 sharing

Active reading strategies-to think, feel and imagine

finding out story

events & predicting

development

interpreting and reasoning

making connections to personal knowledge and experiences

using cues to work out unfamiliar words

responding with

imagination and

emotion

- - Group 4 sharingGroup 4 sharing

• Variations in the curriculum design and teaching strategies attempted by schools –focus of teachers’ dialogues in the sharing sessions

Group 1 - Using readers as the organizing focus for curriculum planning

Group 2 - Incorporating readers and authentic reading materials in modular planning

Group 3 - Shared reading in local English classroom

Group 4 - Enhancing creativity through reading

Group 5 - Integrating BC skills into daily teaching and learning

Group 6 - Improving learners’ writing through explicit story structure instruction

Somebody

wanted

So

Story Grammar – Group 6 sharingGroup 6 sharing

But

Two ways of using the reader

- as part of a module - as a module on its own

Module 1

Module 3

Module 2

ReaderReaders Reader

Module 1Module 2

Module 3 Module 4

3rd way – a combined model

The reader as its own module – Group 1 sharingGroup 1 sharing

- a range of learning objectives

Purposeful and enjoyable reading experience

Reading aloud

Comprehension skills

Phonics, sight words, vocabulary

Writing tasksDrama

Oral discussion

Grammatical structures

Reader

Textbook

The reader as part of a module – Group 2 sharing

Activities / tasks

Games ……..

Other resources:

Supplementary Grammar Phonics …..

Big Books

Small readers

Poems / Plays ….

input input

input

guided writing / free writing / reading aloud / project / drama …….

outputauthentic and meaningful use of language

The reader as part of a moduleModule: Food and Drinks

3 textbook units

Readers: Magic Roller Skates

Picky Nicky

Teacher’s writing

For language focus:- quantity words; possessive adj, adv of frequency- present and past tenses

For story interest and reinforcement of language

For more reading inputs and writing models

Task: My Diet - make up a menu -write paragraphs on their diet for yesterday, today and tomorrow

Fill in leaflet for Today’s special

Making a

shopping list

Asking for the diet of Teachers

& classmates

Making up a menu

Read teacher’s write-up on her healthy

diet

Scaffolding of task

Skill Building exercises and activities- Vocabulary - Grammar - Reading comprehension

Authentic reading materials created by teachers

–– Group 2 sharingGroup 2 sharing

• Task – Buying things

• Task – More spaghetti I say

• Task - Friends in Australia Part 3

Challenges aheadDeveloping a balanced reading program

- phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition, fluency & comprehension

Integrating readers and authentic reading materials into the curriculum using different approaches - reading-to, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading & home reading

Equipping teachers with the right skills and attitudes – Expertise matters!

Group Topic Room No. Facilitator

1 Using readers as the organizing focus for curriculum planning

303 (3/F) Josephine Wong

2 Incorporating readers and authentic reading materials

in modular planning

304 (3/F) Ernest Tse

3 Shared reading in local English classroom

305 (3/F) Gladys Wong

4 Enhancing creativity through reading

306 (3/F) Eve Chan

5 Integrating BC skills into daily teaching and learning

307 (3/F) Judy Kwok

6 Improving learners’ writing through explicit story structure instruction

Conference Room (G/F)

Joyce Yip

Contact of teacher presenters

School Name Teacher's name Group School TelTai Po Old Market Public School (Plover Cove) Ms Ellce LI 1 26652333Chi Tak Public School Ms LEUNG Wai-ying, Christina 2 23831069Chi Tak Public School Ms LEUNG Kin-yan, Keyan 2 23831069GCEPSA Kwun Tong Primary School Ms Adela CHUNG 2 23437343Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School Ms Elaine WONG 3 27423701Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School Ms YIP Chun-yin 3 27423701SKH St Peter's Primary School (AM) Ms Cynthia LEE 3 25462624Chai Wan Kok Catholic Primary School (AM) Ms Christine LAU 4 24903463Chai Wan Kok Catholic Primary School (AM) Ms Elke LAU 4 24903463TKT Catholic Primary School (Hoi Fan Road) Ms Carmen LI 4 21914270TKT Catholic Primary School (Hoi Fan Road) Ms CHAN Lai-mui, May 4 21914270TWGHs Tam Shiu Primary School Ms Helen LAM 4 26064844Canton Road Government Primary School Ms YU Hing-yin, Marie 5 23661530HKFYG Lee Shau Kee Primary School Ms HUI Sze-kit, Vivian 5 24481011HKFYG Lee Shau Kee Primary School Ms LUI Man-chi, Candy 5 24481011Little Flower's School Ms LEUNG Suk-lin 5 26924593Wo Che Lutheran School Ms LO Sze-man, Natalie 5 26911426Ying Yin Catholic Primary School Ms POON Ho-lan 6 24762946