Chapter 6

DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS

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Handout 1

AWARENESS RAISING
Worksheet 1A
Observer sheet

In this activity, one of you will act as the learner reader and the other person will act
observer.
1. Observe your partner as he/she reads aloud a text to you. In front of you, you will have
the original text.
2. Don’t interrupt or help the reader or show the original. It is not a test but an awareness
raising activity.
3. Not down on the sheet any mistakes he/she makes in any words. Note down:
• Words the reader says if they are different from the original

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

• Words left out

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

• Any places where the reader skips over a word

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Note down what strategies the reader uses to try and read, e.g. looking ahead,
rehearsing, pausing, etc.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Worksheet 1B

Reader sheet
In this activity, one of you will act as the learner reader and the other person will act as
observer. The texts are written in a new language which you have been learning for 2-3
years.
1. Read the text aloud to the observer.

2. This language, called ‘Binglish’, is written in a different script to English. You read from
the left to right.

3. This is not a test. Don’t ask your partner for help.

4. When you have finished reading, spend a few minutes making notes as follows:

a. How did you feel when you were doing the reading?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

b. What existing knowledge or skills helped you to read?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

c. Did you understand what you were reading?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 2A

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 2B

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 3A

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 3B

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 4

FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THE READER

Factors related to the text Factors related to the reader

- appearance / visual / pictures - motivation / reason for reading

- size of letters / words - interest in topic

- -
vocab

topic of the text

grammar/ structure - level of the reader
children-friendly topics every experience/ familiar with the topic
spelling of words reading competence
reading culture

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 5

READING ALOUD TO YOUNG LEARNERS

Observation Sheet
In this extract, students are reading aloud a simple story with their teacher from a story book.
Think about these questions while you watch the DVD and answer:

1. What benefits do the children get from reading the words and story aloud?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
improve pronunciation and fluency
practice in expression and intonation
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
build confidence of the class
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Can you remember which two questions the teacher asked about the children’s personal
preferences?

a.………………………………………………………………………………………………………
do you know ...?

b……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
do you like ... ?

3. Why is it important to ask children questions like this?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
catch sts attention
sts are able to link material to their real experience
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 6

Benefits from reading the words and story aloud

• Building confidence in saying English words and pronouncing English sounds.
• Reading aloud as a class together gives children the chance to say English words
without being “put on the spot”.
• Practising word recognition and phonic skills:
- Recognize and say the different sounds (vowel sounds, final sounds) in the key
words (sounding out the word)
- Blend the sounds to say the whole word (word stress)
- Recognize rapidly the link between different letters and their sounds
- Recognize important grammatical marker, its spelling and meaning, e.g. ‘er’
- Recognize that words can be made up of other words (house, house keeping)
- Recognize the spelling pattern associated with long vowels in words like ‘base’
- Recognize rapidly and say key sight words (intonation)
- Understand meaning of new words

The importance of questioning personal preferences

• Questions which ask about personal preferences give children the opportunity to
give a personal response to the material; the children are then much more
engaged with the material and able to link it to real life situations and experiences.
Even if the activity is very short, just one or two questions of this type are
worthwhile.

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DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 7
ACTIVITIES FOR READING ALOUD
Focusing on the Text: Developing skills at word and sentence level
Some examples of activities
1. Sequencing
• Cut the story / text up into paragraphs and get children to sequence them.
• For story, get children to match sentences and pictures and then sequence them.

2. Sentence Matching
• Give children key sentences from the text
• Read part of the text or story again
• Children come out in front of the class and hold up their sentence when they hear it

3. Bingo (word and sentence)

• Children choose from a given list of words from the story or text and write them into
a bingo grid (9 squares)
• Teacher says words or holds up words for children to cross off on their bingo sheet.
Those who get a complete line crossed called Bingo. The one with the most
“Bingos” is the winner.

4. Sentence Bingo
• Prepare bingo grids with sentences from the text for children
• Hold up sentences or say sentences. Children cover the sentences on their grid if
they have the same as Teacher reads out.

5. Pelmanism (Memory)
• Prepare sets of word cards based on those from the text or those which children
know and their matching pictures.
• Whole Class: stick up pictures and word cards face down on board.
• Different children take turns to turn over two cards each time.
• If the two cards are not the same, they are replaced in the same position and the
next child has a turn.
• If the pictures match, the child wins a point. The winner is the one with the most
points.
• Groups: the same game can be played in groups on a desk or floor with a similar
set of cards.

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6. Letter Games
How many words can you find beginning with the letter “X”?
• This is best played with a big Book or when there are many labels around the
classroom.
• Point to a particular letter you want to focus on from the text or write it on the
board.
• Get children to say its name and its sound.
• Ask children to see how many words they can find beginning with, e.g, w, th, p, r,
etc in the text or around the room and point to them.
• Get them to say the word or words.
• How many ‘a’s can you find on this page?
• Get children to look through a page of the text and see how many letter ‘a’s they
can find etc (or ‘l’s, ‘p’s etc.)

7. Sentence Building
• Give children sentences from the text cut up into words.
• Get them to make sentences form them in groups.

8. Letter-Sound Link
• Choose a sound to focus on from the text – either inittial or final letter sound for
beginners.
• Introduce children to the letter-sound link in a familiar word. Show some other
examples and practise saying the words.
• Put the tray of objects in front of the class or stick up a number of pictures on the
board with some beginning with the focus letter-sound.
• Individual children have to choose and hold up the object or picture beginning or
ending with the practice letter sound.
• This can also be played in teams. Children take it in turns to complete to run up
and slap or hold up the object.
• Children choose 2 examples of words with the special letter sound and draw them,
colour and write the word.

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DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 8

SENTENCE MATCHING ACTIVITY FROM STORY TELLING

It was winter and Rabbit was very hungry. He went out of his house and looked for food. He
hopped through the forest. He found a big cabbage in a garden at the edge of the forest. He
went home and put the cabbage on the table. He cut the cabbage in half. He ate half the
cabbage. It was delicious. He was very full.

He thought of his friend Hedgehog. ‘Maybe he is hungry’. He took the other half of the
cabbage and went to Hedgehog’s house. He knocked at the door. No-one answered.
Rabbit went into the house and put the half-cabbage on the table. Hedgehog was in the
forest. He found some beetles to eat. Mmm. It was delicious. He came back home. He was
very full. Ohhh What a surprise! There was half a cabbage on the table.

He thought of his friend deer. ‘Maybe he is hungry’. He took the other half of the cabbage
and went to Deer’s house. He knocked at the door. No-one answered. Hedgehog went
into the house and put the half-cabbage on the table. Deer was in the forest. He found
some beetles to eat. Mmm. It was delicious. He came back home. He was very full. Ohhh
What a surprise! There was half a cabbage on the table.

He thought of his friend Squirrel. ‘Maybe he is hungry’. He took the other half of the
cabbage and went to Squirrel‘s house. He knocked at the door. No-one answered. Deer
went into the house and put the half-cabbage on the table. Squirrel was in the forest. He
found some beetles to eat. Mmm. It was delicious. He came back home. He was very full.
Ohhh What a surprise! There was half a cabbage on the table.

He thought of his friend Rabbit. ‘Maybe he is hungry’. He took the other half of the cabbage
and went to Rabbit‘s house. He knocked at the door. No-one answered. Squirrel went into
the house and put the half-cabbage on the table. Rabbit was fast asleep. A little later –
Rabbit woke up. Ohhh What a surprise! There was half a cabbage on the table….

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Primary English Language Teaching Methodology 2
 Chapter 6
DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 9

APPROACHES TO TEACHING READING

Worksheet 2A
Bottom-up Model
Bottom-up models are based on the idea that learning to read starts at the lowest level.
Children learn to recognize letters and letter-sound relations, to understand how letters are
combined to make words which can be said and then recognize words in sentences. At later
stage, they learn to read paragraphs and larger texts. These models do not give much
attention to background knowledge a reader brings or to the context and meaning.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Worksheet 2B
Top-down Model
These models assume that reading starts in the mind of the reader. The reader uses his
knowledge of text type and the topic to make prediction about what he is going to read. He
does not need to look at every letter and word to get meaning.
Reading is seen as an interaction between what the reader brings to the text and the
meaning that is in the text. Thus, these models emphasize meaning, the use of context and
prediction, reader’s background knowledge.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Worksheet 2C
Interactive Model
Interactive models combine both top-down and bottom-up models. They suggest that readers
make use of clues from the print or written symbols and their sounds, from grammar and
meaning. Readers start from the recognition of printed words, use their experience and
knowledge of the topic to predict what they are going to read and have a purpose for reading.
In short, they make use of their linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the world to read.

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Worksheet 3A

Bottom-up Model

Text (Meaning)

2. _______________________

Sentences

Combining letters to make words

1. _____________________

Letters

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Worksheet 3B

Top-down Model
start in the mind of reader. the reader uses

Past Experience, Knowledge of world, and

knowledge of language

to make
3. _______________________
Prediction

what the reader is going to read involve

Meaning

4. _______________________
text

Sound / Letters (only if needed)

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Worksheet 3C

Interactive Model

bottom-up
5 skills use clues
e.g. recognition of print or written
symbols and their sounds, grammar

Reader Text

Top-down skills e.g. using

experience & knowledge of the
topic, predict
6 what to read Construct meaning

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DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 10

WORK SHEET
You will explore a demo of a reading lesson (Handout 11 &12). Think about the following
questions and make notes in the chart.

Questions Demo leson

reading for information
1. What is the teacher’s teaching focus in the
lesson? (reading for information or reading for
pronunciation)

2. Is the teacher just focusing on reading skill? Speaking, listening, writing skill
Are other skills being practised at the same
time?

3. How child-friendly is the lesson? Dingdong

Ask Sts

4. What approach does the teacher take to the

teaching of reading? (bottom-up, top-down, or
interactive)

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Handout 11

DEMO LESSON

Read the postcard and answer the questions.

10 August 2008
Dear Quoc Anh,
I’m having a holiday in Vung Tau. The weather is To:
beautiful. It’s sunny and windy. The sea is nice for Nguyen Quoc Anh
swimming. The hotel is excellent and the food is good. 197 Tay Son, Dong Da
The people are friendly. Hanoi
See you soon,
Goodbye
Tom

a) Where’s Tom?

b) What’s he doing?

c) What’s the weather like there?

d) What’s the hotel like?

e) What’s the food like?

f) What are the people like?

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DEVELOPING READING SKILLS AND YOUNG LEARNERS
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Handout 12
GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING READING
Match the activities to the aims.

Activities Aims
A. Create a context and draw pupils’
A
1. Show a picture of a postcard to class attention to the layout of a postcard
B. Create a meaningful reason for pupils to
2. Ask pupils questions about postcards C read

3. Gradually reveal information about the C. Relate the topic to their pupils’ own
sender, the receiver and the content of the experience
E
postcard

4. Ask pupils to talk about what they do on F D. Check comprehension and give pupils
holiday and support with vocabulary practice in reading aloud

5. Ask the pupils to guess what information I E. Familiarize pupils with type of text
might be in the postcard

6. Ask pupils to read the postcard and find F. Introduce new vocabulary to prepare
B pupils for the reading
main information about Tom for Quoc Anh’s
mother

7. Demonstrate one example with pupils and G G. Draw pupils’ attention to strategies to get
instruct them how to find the information information

8. Ask pupils to play the game (spot the D H. Integrate skills in teaching reading
mistake)
I. Encourage pupils to predict by using
9. Instruct pupils to write a postcard H background knowledge

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