How to teach reading

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作者：常雪梅  来源：上海新东方学校

Reading plays very important role in our daily life. Learners can read and then talk with others about what they have read . They can also listen to a speaker discuss something they've read about and can understand the person better. When learners have strong reading skills, they have something that they can write about. I also believe that learners' self-confidence increases and that they are willing to read more.

It is also believed that Students can become easily frustrated when they do not understand what they are reading and as a result, they become less interesting in learning . I was exactly told by my student ,Jane, that she did not like reading. Most of the time, The only reason why she read English texts was that she was dragged into the English examination . When she was in my class, she preferred to read novels in Chinese. What could I do to help her get back motivation in reading?  I designed and taught different strategies in order to help her , of cause, including all my students as well closed the gaps in their understanding. I got well prepared for the reading lessons with clear steps for teaching reading. In addition, every time I chose pre-reading activities to interest her in talking about relevant knowledge even half in Chinese. I showed her how to get main idea and details by using reading strategies which I will share later. She ,at present, becomes more interesting in English reading than before. From her ,I recognize that teachers should know exactly which strategy is useful and most beneficial to teach.

There are four factors involved in learners reading that are important for teachers to think of .

1.  Activating background knowledge

J ane likes to do pre-reading activities.  It is obvious that prior knowledge influences reading comprehension. In other words, activation of prior knowledge facilitates comprehension.

2. Teaching vocabulary
9 I5 L" T9 q3 S' B# `( mPerhaps you should ask yourself the following questions when you teach words.

1)     What vocabulary do my learners need to know?

2)    How will they learn this vocabulary?

3)    How can I best test to see what they need to know and what they now know?

Nation (1990) also provides four ways that vocabulary instruction can be integrated into language learning.(From Neil Anderson, my instructor, ELT online course)

Integrating vocabulary instruction into language learning Carefully control the vocabulary presented in a text by preparing the materials yourself. Address unfamiliar vocabulary as it naturally comes up in the text. Teach vocabulary in connection with other language activities. ( z' w8 m- J. W+ @2 \4 Y" EFor example, prior to reading a text, learners should be provided with essential vocabulary. Vocabulary exercises may also follow language activities. Teach vocabulary independently from other language activities. *Exercises that are typically used with this type of vocabulary instruction include: knowing spelling rules, analyzing word structure, learning to use mnemonic techniques, paraphrasing activities, and using vocabulary puzzles. # }' }8 g. }' K  L2 G! k3 W- Z& ?, k

3. Using reading strategies
# L) T( f  @9 F. K2 R; q0 b$ gStrategies are defined as the conscious actions that learners take to improve their language learning. Strategies may be observable, such as observing someone take notes during an academic lecture to recall information better, or they may be mental, such as thinking about what one already knows on a topic before reading a passage in a textbook. Because strategies are conscious, there is active involvement of the L2 learner in their selection and use. Strategies are not an isolated action, but rather a process of orchestrating more than one action to accomplish an L2 task. (Anderson, 2005, p. 757)

I am going to share some of them later.

4. Reading rate
, H# Z$ K- J8 Q0 |6 O, MGrabe (1991) states that "fluent reading is rapid; the reader needs to maintain the flow of information at a sufficient rate to make connections and inferences vital to comprehension" (p. 378).

Readers who have difficulty comprehending a text often read at a slower rate than proficient readers. The slower reader does not enjoy reading because it takes so much time and as a result, he or she does not read much. By increasing reading rate, Nuttall suggests that a reader can get into the "virtuous cycle of the good reader" (1982, p. 167). By reading faster, the reader is encouraged to read more and with more reading, comprehension improves.

We will discuss reading rate later as well.

Here, I will talk about how teachers teach reading lessons to learners in the classroom. I am going to say four points with examples as follows:

1.      Steps for teaching reading

2.     What Reading strategies can teachers use in each step for teaching reading

3.     Focus on how to use Graphic Organizers to help teachers teach reading.

4.     Practice reading rate

Teachers need to have a structure to prepare for the reading lesson. There are seven steps teaching reading lessons followed by an example.

Step 1: Engage the student. The first step in teaching reading to our students is to get them warmed-up by engaging them in the topic of the reading passage.

The purpose of engaging the student is to introduce the theme or topic of the reading. The student can be engaged, for example, by using visuals or a "warm-up" conversation. If you use visuals, you can ask a question such as, "who do you think lives here?" The ESL teacher should elicit responses from the students. Remember that lessons should be student-focused, so the majority of the talking should be done by the students.

Step 2: Pre-teach new vocabulary. When preparing ESL reading activities, decide the vocabulary (lexis) that is critical for the ESL learners to know to understand the story. Decide how you will teach the new words or key words. You don't have to teach every word that you think the student may not know, just those that are critical to understanding the reading passage. This part of the lesson shouldn't take too much time.

Step 3: Ask a focus question. A lesson plan teaching reading to ESL students should have a focus question. Write a question about a detail that is three-quarters of the way through the text for ESL beginning reading exercises. For advanced level ESL students, ask a "gist" question. This is something that the students have to deduce from the reading passage. Be sure to write the focus question on the board so that all students can see it.

Step 4: The students read. Finally, the students read! Be sure to allow enough time for the students to read the entire passage. You'll have to watch the students to see how they are doing and when they're done. If one student is taking a particularly long time, you may not need to wait until he or she finishes.

Step 5: Ask questions about the reading. First, ask the students the focus question again. In addition to the focus question, ask the students a few other questions about the reading. If the students are unable to answer the questions, allow the students to read the passage again.

Step 6: Follow up with a task. A lesson plan teaching reading to ESL students should always be followed up with a task. The task can be oral or written. This allows the student to bring in his or her knowledge on the topic, and helps to reinforce comprehension and the learning process.

Step 7 (optional): Follow up with an activity. If you have enough time (or too much time left over!), you can include another ESL activity. This could be additional writing practice or speaking practice. It's helpful to have a specific activity built in to your lesson plan, but you can also be flexible. If something comes up that the students seem particularly interested in, use this topic for the students to write about or to continue with a conversation.

To ensure you can follow seven steps above, I am going to give you one example to show how to teach reading lessons. Considering most trainees are familiar with the passages in our text books, such as SBS and NCE, I made up my mind to choose this following passage which most of you have not probably read it before. In this way, I am sure you can learn more.

Here we go:

African Elephants

African elephants are the largest mammals that live on land. They grow all of their lives. Male African elephants can get to be thirteen feet tall if measured from the ground to the top of their shoulder. They can weigh up to 14,000 pounds.

African elephants have ears that can be five feet long and are shaped like the continent of Africa. Elephants can flap their ears. The big ears help keep the elephants cool.

Elephants eat all day long. They eat vegetables, such as grass,leaves, and other plants. They also eat fruit, like bananas. Elephants use their trunks to grab food and put it in their mouth. They can also suck water into their trunks and squirt the water into their mouths. Elephants sometimes drink up to forty gallons of water a day! Elephants use their trunks to pick up things and to hold things. They can pick up something as small as a marble, or as big as a tree. They also breathe through their trunks.

Elephants have two tusks, which are made of ivory. The tusks grow to the right and the left sides of their trunks. Elephants can use their tusks to fight and to dig. People used to hunt elephants so that they could get their tusks. Ivory was used to make beautiful jewelry and statues. It is against the law to hunt elephants now, because hunting them made them endangered animals.

Step 1: Engage the student by using visuals: Today we are going to meet an animal friend. He has big ears, a long nose and a big strong body. And then I will be waiting my students for the answers .  After this , they have to tell me how much they know the African Elephants by brain storming.

Step 2: Pre-teach new vocabulary by offering the key words list and matching them. For trainees are teachers, I just made a word list and ask them to read and match. If necessary, they can work in pairs within 2mintues to discuss and find the answers to the answers. Frankly, our students will be provided with some reference books like dictionaries which is only allowed to be used in this stage. This is an automatic way to encourage our students to learn more and they have to make an effort to understand these new words for them.

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A.    one of a pair of very long pointed teeth, that stick out of the mouth of animals such as elephants B.     the very long nose of an elephant C.     a type of animal that drinks milk from its mother's body when it is young. Such as humans, dogs, and whales. & ~1 Y# f( H4 O2 i  Z

Mammal

Trunk

Tusk

Flap         Grab     Suck      Squirt      Ivory         Statue

A.    spray （潵水）

B.     to get some food

C.     to move quickly up and down or from side to side, often making a noise:

D.    an image of a person or animal that is made in solid material such as stone or metal and is usually large

E.     to take air, water into your mouth

F.     the hard smooth yellowish-white substance from the tusks (=long teeth) of an elephant

Step 3: Ask a focus question by board-writing before learners read the passage. I should know the passage very well so that some gist questions can be made. In NCE, I  do not have to find the core question, it has been already written above the passage.

Why did people hunt elephants?

Step 4: The students read with the questions on the board. And then go through the reading to find the answer.
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Step 5: Ask questions about the reading. Learners have to find additional questions on the worksheet or on the board where teachers delivered by Graphic Organizers. This time teachers have to read entire passage to find main structure about this reading. Look at it below.

                                          

To keep this structure in your mind and deliver it gradually to learners as follows:

Today’s topic is about African Elephants. I will show one example to learners by writing `ears` on the line above, and the function is given as well. Learners will get other information about the elephant through their fast reading based on following questions:

a)     Which body part is written in the reading?

b)    What are they used for?

c)     What else do you know about the elephant after you finishing reading?

Learners will soon get main idea and details in this way? If they are high grade level students, leave them one example and certain time to work out the map above.

Step 6: Follow up with a task as follow:

African Elephants Comprehension Sheet

Use the reading sheet to answer the questions about elephants.

1. Write three facts that tell how big African elephants are:

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

2. Write three facts that tell about an African elephant’s ears:

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

3. Write four things that an African elephant eats:

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

4. How many gallons of water can an elephant drink in a day?

_________________________________

5. What are elephant tusks made of?

_________________________________

6. Why is it against the law to hunt elephants today?

_________________________________

7. Do you like elephants? If not, what animal do you like? Why?

_________________________________

Step 7 : Follow up with an activity. According to the structure below, teachers can ask learners to speak or write some other animals:

It possibly occurs to you that the spider map works a lot in teaching reading time. I prefer to teach reading by using Graphic Organizers . It can be successfully transferred to writing and speaking, most benefit our students. I will talk about it later.

Some teachers asked me which step is most important in teaching reading? I would like to say it depends on what reading goals you want your learners to learn. Based on learners in your class, teachers can pick one goal below to teach learners.

1.      Vocabulary learning

2.     Reading comprehension

3.     Reading rate

4.     Reading strategies

  I would like to introduce some reading strategies to help you teach reading in your class, especially using graphic organizers to teach. Teachers can, and should, teach these strategies to readers. The following strategies can help students understand any text in any subject.

1.      Make predictions

2.     Visualize

3.     Ask and answer questions

4.     Retell and summarize

5.     Connect the Text to Life Experiences, Other Texts, or Prior Knowledge

Let’s get to know how to make predictions when you teach learners reading. In my opinion, it is very important way of teaching reading both for teachers and learners. Predictions encourage active reading and keep students interested, whether or not the predictions are correct. Incorrect predictions can signal a misunderstanding that needs to be revisited. Instruct students:

1.      Look at the pictures, table of contents, chapter headings, maps, diagrams, and features. What subjects are in the book?

2.     Write down predictions about the text. During reading, look for words or phrases from those predictions.

3.     While reading, revise the predictions or make new ones.

Also , teachers should realize better that visualization is another good way to teach reading. It ,in particular, helps learners to build main structure about the text so that learners can easily get main idea and details, even write beautiful stories or texts.  It is obvious that teachers ought to know the passage thoroughly and form the structure in their mind so that they can teach learners to do it like this. The following instruct learners to:

1.      Imagine an event taking place as if it were a movie. Imagine the characters' features. Picture the plot in time and space.

2.     Imagine processes and explanations happening visually. Use nouns, verbs, and adjectives to create pictures, diagrams, or other mental images.

3.     Use graphic organizers to lay out information. Make sketches or diagrams on scrap paper.

In this way, particularly using graphic organizers you can exactly retell and summarize the passage. Of course, here is some tips for you.

1.      During reading, note the main ideas or events. Put a check mark in the key sentences or write a note to point out a main idea.

2.     At the ends of sections, review the information or story. Note main ideas or events and the details that support them.

3.     After reading, retell or summarize the text. Focus on the important points, and support them with relevant details.

4.     Refer to the passage to check the retelling or summarization.

I am sure that most teachers normally  use the way of Asking and Answering Questions . It can be used before reading , while reading and after reading. As we all know you can ask learner to do as what you do when they are reading.

Before reading, think about the subject based on the title, chapter heads, and visual information. Make note of anything you are curious about. While reading, pause and write down any questions. Be sure to ask questions if there is any confusion. Look for the answers while reading. Pause and write down the answers.

a)     Were all the questions answered?

b)    Could the answers come from other sources?

Sometimes I was asked by my colleagues how I teach learners to connect the Text to Life Experiences, Other Texts, or Prior Knowledge when I do post reading. Connecting a text to students' experiences and knowledge helps students personalize the information. It also helps students remember information when they link it to their lives. I often consider five questions before I really make a reading lesson plan.

1.      Is the subject familiar?

2.     Do the characters resemble familiar people?

3.     Have you learned about the concept from school, home, or other experiences?

4.     Is the style or genre familiar?

5.     Does it resemble other texts? Television shows, movies, and games can be considered "texts."

Without doubt, you have to write down similarities between the current text and experiences, knowledge, or other texts.

Going back to the lesson plan African Elephants, let’s discuss what strategies I have just used ?  Trainees’ possible answers: Visualize ,Ask and answer questions, Retell and summarize, Connect the Text to Other Texts, or Prior Knowledge

Among all the strategies I showed you, I like to use Graphic 0rganizers to teach best. To help trainees understand it better and know well how to use it, I downloaded some information online as follow (the Definition and Flowchart coming from EnchantedLearning.com):

Graphic organizers (some of which are also called concept maps, entity relationship charts, and mind maps) are a pictorial way of constructing knowledge and organizing information. They help the student convert and compress a lot of seemingly disjointed information into a structured, simple-to-read, graphic display. The resulting visual display conveys complex information in a simple-to-understand manner.

In my opinion, using Graphic Organizers can increase understanding the topic and the relationships between the items and the meanings . It also helps the student generate ideas as they develop and note their thoughts visually.

I am going to show you some useful charts which contains most passage patterns to help you figure out what on earth you can simply do with passages you have to teach and when and where to use them.（They are also coming from EnchantedLearning.com):

Star: If the topic involves investigating attributes associated with a single topic, use a star diagram as your graphic organizer. Example: Finding methods that help your study skills (like taking notes, reading, doing homework, memorizing, etc.).

Spider: If the topic involves investigating attributes associated with a single topic, and then obtaining more details on each of these ideas, use a spider diagram as your graphic organizer. This is like the star graphic organizer with one more level of detail. Example: Finding methods that help your study skills (like taking notes, reading, memorizing, etc.), and investigating the factors involved in performing each of the methods.

Fishbone: If the topic involves investigating multiple cause-and-effect factors associated with a complex topic and how they inter-relate, use a fishbone diagram as your graphic organizer. Example: Examining the effects of improved farming methods. Cloud/Cluster: If the topic involves generating a web of ideas based on a stimulus topic, use a clustering diagram as your graphic organizer. Example: brainstorming.

Tree: If the topic involves a chain of events with a beginning and with multiple outcomes at each node (like a family tree), use a tree as your graphic organizer. Example: Displaying the probabilistic results of tossing coins.

Chain of Events: If the topic involves a linear chain of events, with a definite beginning, middle, and end, use a chain of events graphic organizer. Example: Analyzing the plot of a story.

Continuum/Timeline: If the topic has definite beginning and ending points, and a number of divisions or sequences in between, use a continuum/timeline. Example: Displaying milestones in a person's life.

Clock: If the topic involves a clock-like cycle, use a clock graphic organizer. Example topic: Recording the events in a typical school day or making a story clock to summarize a story.

Cycle of Events: If the topic involves a recurring cycle of events, with no beginning and no end, use a cyclic graphic organizer. Example topic: Documenting the stages in the lifecycle of an animal.

Venn Diagram: If the task involves examining the similarities and differences between two or three items, use a Venn diagram. Example: Examining the similarities and differences between fish and whales, or comparing a book and the accompanying movie.

Chart/Matrix Diagram: If the task involves condensing and organizing data about traits of many items, use a chart/matrix. Example: Creating a display of key inventions, who invented them, when, where and why they were invented, etc.

Fact/Opinion: If the task involves distinguishing the facts vs. the opinions in a theme or text, use fact/opinion charts. Example: Fill out a fact/opinion chart to evaluate the facts and opinions presented in a news article.

PMI Diagram: If the task involves analyzing the plusses, minuses, and implicatios of a decision or an action, use a PMI Chart. Example: Fill out a PMI Chart to help evaluate the positive, negative and interesting points associated with taking a new job.

Decision Making Diagrams: If the task is making a decision, use a graphic organizer to enumerate possible alternatives and the pros and cons of each. Example: Fill out a desicion making diagram to help decide which elective courses you'd like to take next quarter.

Cause and Effect Diagrams: If the task is examining possible causes and effects in a process, use a cause and effect graphic organizer . Example: Fill out a cause-and-effect diagram to trace the steps in a feedback loop..

KWHL Diagram: If the task involves analyzing and organizing what you know and what you want to learn about a topic, use a KWHL chart. K stands for what you already KNOW about the subject. W stands for what you WANT to learn. H stands for figuring out HOW you can learn more about the topic. L stands for what you LEARN as you read. Example: Fill out a KWHL chart before, during, and after you read about a topic.

Paragraph Structure: These graphic organizers help you organize the structure of a paragraph, including a topic sentence, sentences with support details, and a conclusion sentence.

5 W's Diagram: If the task involves analyzing the Five W's (Who, When, Where, What, and Why) of a story or event. Example: Fill out a 5 W's Chart to help evaluate and understand the major points of a newspaper story.

Story Map: Story maps can help a student summarize, analyze and understand a story or event.

As teachers, we better pay more attention to find an appropriate graphic organizer. That is to say , it is very important for us to choose a Graphic Organizer which can be appropriately used in our teaching reading lessons.  Answer the following questions about your topic in the Flowchart of How to Choose a Graphic Organizer

Now , according to above all that you have learned today ,you are going to practice using them to teach reading for learners well learning. In the meantime ,to think about following questions:

1.      What are your steps to teach reading in the classroom?

2.     Which strategies are you going to instruct learners?

3.     Which new strategies would you like to try in the classroom?

4.     Which chart is going to be better used when you finish reading?

(During my training time, I have prepared all texts in SBS3, eight lessons from NCE2. When it is practice time, I hand out the copies of them to the trainees and ask them to pick one of the passage to decide which charts they intend to use and how they are going to teach.  After preparing, trainees will show the lesson plan and I will express my opinions about how they worked and learned . For this article, I just list some of them to be a reference passage for trainees)

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l  Percy Buttons from NCE2

I have just moved to a house in Bridge Street. Yesterday a beggar knocked at my door. He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer. In return for this, the beggar stood on his head and sang songs. I gave him a meal. He ate the food and drank the beer. Then he put a piece of cheese in his pocket and went away. Later a neighbour told me about him. Everybody knows him. His name is Percy Buttons. He calls at every house in the street once a month and always asks for a meal and a glass of beer.

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Possible answer: By using Chain or Sketch to show the events and give the main idea and details about Percy Buttons and then learners can retell or summarize the story as well.

l  Apartment problems  from SBS2

Mr. and Mrs. Banks have been having a lot of problems in their apartment recently. For several weeks their bedroom ceiling has been leaking, their refrigerator hasn't been working, and the paint in their hallway has been peeling. In addition, they have been taking cold showers since last week because their water heater hasn't been working, and they haven't been sleeping at night because the heating system has been making strange noises.

Mr. and Mrs. Banks are furious. They have been calling the manager of their apartment building every day and complaining about their problems. He has been promising to help them, but they have been waiting for more than a week, and he still hasn't fixed anything at all.

Possible answer: By using Cerebral Chart to show main structure clearly and instruct learners to make predictions by the picture above the passage, to transfer with writing.

l  Saying good-bye from SBS3

  Mr. and Mrs. Karpov are at the Moscow airport. They’re saying good-bye to their son Sasha and his family. It’s a very emotional day. In a few minutes, Sasha and his family will get on a plane and fly to Canada. They won’t be coming back. They’re leaving Russia permanently, and Mr. and Mrs. Karpov won’t be seeing them for a long, long time.

  Sasha and his family are excited about their plans for the future. They’re going to stay with his wife’s relatives in Toronto. His wife, Marina, will take any job she can find during the day, and she’ll study English at night. The children will begin school in September.

  Mr. and Mrs. Karpov are both happy and sad. They’re happy because they know that their son will have a good life in his new home. However, they’re sad because they know they’re going to be very lonely. Their apartment will be quiet and empty, and they won’t see their grandchildren grow up.

  Some day Mr. and Mrs. Karpov will visit Toronto, or perhaps they’ll even move there. But until then, they’re going to miss their family very much. As you can imagine, it’s very difficult for them to say good-bye.

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Possible answer: By combining with the chain and spider map to get clear structure for main idea and details, easily transferred to speaking and writing.

l  A Wonderful Family from SBS 3

Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are very proud of their family. Their daughter, Ruth, is a very successful engineer. She has been an engineer since she finished college. Her husband’s name is Pablo. They have been happily married for thirty-five years. Pablo is a professional guitarist. He has known how to play the guitar since he was four years old.

  Ruth and Pablo have two children. Their son, David, is a computer programmer. He has been interested in computers since he was a teenager. Their daughter, Rita, is a physician. She has been a physician since she finished medical school in 1997.

  Mr. and Mrs. Patterson also have a son, Herbert. Herbert is single. He has been a bachelor all his life. He’s a famous journalist. They haven’t seen him since he moved to Singapore several years ago.

  Mr. and Mrs. Patterson feel fortunate to have such wonderful children and grandchildren. They’re very proud of them.

Possible answer: By using family apple tree to build the passage structure, easily transferred to speaking and writing.

If we say you better master this method to teach reading and your learners learn it successfully , there is also another factor you have to remember---reading rate.

From Neil Anderson, my instructor on ELT online course) suggests teachers should work with learners to achieve a reading rate of 200 words per minute with 70% comprehension. We have to look at this Venn Diagram below:

When learners read faster, they are encouraged to read more and with more reading, comprehension improves. It is very important to understand that the goal is not to develop speed readers but fluent readers. Learning activities should teach students how to approach reading without having to constantly stop and use a dictionary.

Can reading rate be taught? The answer to this question is "Of course!" The challenge is that most materials do not address the specifics of how to help learners increase their reading rate.

Teaching Reading Rate: Shadow Reading

Before students read

Using pre-reading activities, I make sure that there is a purpose for each passage we read and that students understand what this is. We may be reading for the main idea or to tell the diference between main and supporting ideas. Make sure that your learners understand which skill you are focusing on and practicing.

Shadow Reading into three parts.

Step 1: I use the audio CD that accompanies the intensive reading text that I use in class (ACTIVE Skills for Reading,SBS3 Saying Goodbye).

I tell learners just to listen to the assigned reading passage and not to look at the text. Following the listening, we discuss what we heard. I then tie in the reading purpose at this early stage.

Step 2: After the brief discussion, I ask students to open their books and follow along silently as they listen to the recording on the CD. For most of the learners in my class, their eyes are moving faster while following the text and listening to the recording than they would be if they were reading silently by themselves. This is a good practice opportunity. Students begin to realize that the rate of speech in listening is faster than they are accustomed to reading.

After learners have finished following along with the passage being read, I tie in the reading purpose again.

Step 3: I play the CD again and have learners read aloud quietly with it. Keeping up is often a challenge as learners are not accustomed to reading that fast. We may repeat this phase of Shadow Reading more than once during the lesson. Students enjoy the challenge of trying to keep up with the CD.

Following the reading, I once more tie in the purpose for reading.

We may practice these different phases of Shadow Reading more than once depending on how successful learners are at keeping up with the CD.

Teaching Reading Rate: Rate Buildup Reading

In Rate Buildup Reading, I give the learners sixty seconds to read as much material as they can. I tell them not to read quickly, but to read comfortably. After one minute, I ask them to write the number 1 in the text where they've read to. Then, I ask them to turn to a partner and share one thing they learned while they were reading. Sharing what they've read and understood with a partner helps learners to see that comprehension is an essential part of reading fluency.

I then tell students to begin reading again from the beginning of the text. I give them another sixty seconds to read silently. I tell them to reread what they have already read as quickly as they can and to see how much more of the text they can read. After one minute, I ask them to write the number 2 in the text. Again, I have them turn to a partner and briefly discuss what they learned when they read.

We repeat the activity a third and fourth time. Before learners begin the text the third time, I invite them to set a reading-rate goal. I ask them to look at the numbers 1 and 2 they've already written in their texts. I ask them where they hope the number 3 will be after they've read a third time. I tell them to write the number 3 in the text and place a box around it. Students then read for a third minute.

The exercise is repeated a fourth and final time. Each time they are expected to talk about what they have learned as they were reading.

Teaching Reading Rate: Repeated Reading

During Repeated Reading, learners read a short passage over and over again until they reach levels of reading rate and comprehension. For example, students may read a short 100-word paragraph four times in two minutes. By reading this short passage four times in two minutes, they are reading at an average of 200 words per minute.

In this text, I have addressed four points for how to teach reading . I, to some extent, also examined steps and strategies that you can take to become a more effective teacher who teach learners to learn well from reading. And finally, we explored how using Graphic Organizers together to help students improve their reading skills and develop strong abilities in other learning contexts.

As Latin proverb goes: By learning we will teach and by teaching we will learn.

References:

网络资源：

1.      http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/sequence.html#networktree

2.     http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/

教材资源：

1.      ‘Simple reading activities’—Jill Hadfield, Charles Hadfield—Oxford university press

2.     SBS2-3全册，新概念2.

课程参考：ELT online course in 1997, From Neil Anderson, my instructor.

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