Teaching reading

READING SKILLS
Reading is one of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Listening and reading are receptive skills and they are aimed at perceiving,
comprehending, and processing information in oral or written form. We have to relate
words and notions behind those words, to understand how the words are connected in a
sentence, and how the sentences are linked into one whole text. Finally, to make sense
of the text we have to relate the information in it to our knowledge of the world.

In contrast, speaking and writing are productive skills. They are directed at generating
a message. In order to generate a message we recall the words that express the
notions in our mind, connect them syntactically into a sentence, link the sentences so
that they make up one whole and relate the message to the listener's knowledge of the
world.

In light of the communicative approach to language teaching, reading means

comprehending a written text by extracting the required information from it as efficiently
as possible. For example, while looking through job ads in a newspaper we mean to
locate the jobs of a particular type. A competent reader will quickly reject the irrelevant
information and find what she is looking for. On the contrary, more detailed
comprehension is necessary when carefully reading an article of special interest in a
scientific journal.

Reading aloud, i.e. ability to perceive and decode letters in order to read words, is not
a skill by itself. Rather, it is a technique to develop and test the correctness of a
learner's pronunciation, rhythm and intonation. Reading aloud is widely practised at
early stages of language learning, especially by following a model. Later on, when
larger pieces of texts come along silent reading prevails.

In general, there are two main reasons for reading:

1) Reading for pleasure
2) Reading for information
The communicative approach to language teaching defines the following reading
subskills:
If we read to identify the topic of a text, to get a general idea of what it is about, we read
for gist. This is called skimming. When skimming, we go through the reading material
quickly in order to get the gist of it, to know how it is organized, or to get an idea of the
tone or the intention of the writer.

If we read a text just to find a specific piece or pieces of information which may or may
not be the main points and which are pre-specified by the purpose of the reading, we
read for specific information. This is called scanning. We only try to locate specific
information and often we do not even follow the linearity of the passage to do so. We
simply let our eyes wander over the text until we find what we are looking for, whether it
be a name, a date, or a less specific piece of information.

READING STRATEGIES
Skimming and scanning are major reading subskills necessary for quick and efficient
reading. In addition to these major reading subskills a number of minor reading
strategies are often specified for focusing on in teaching reading.

1) using context to guess meaning of new words

2) skipping unknown words
3) relying on cognates, international and borrowed words to guess meaning
4) avoiding translating while skimming or scanning
5) avoiding translating every unknown word to understand
6) highlighting key ideas
7) highlighting specific information for easy reference
8) previewing the text to estimate how long it will take to read, how difficult and interesting it will
be and then go back and read
9) using subheadings and pictures to get a general idea of what the text will be about
10) using a dictionary to look up those new words which are essential to comprehending
11) looking back and ahead to link parts of the text
12) searching for clues in the context
13) using general knowledge to guess meaning
14) thinking aloud to clarify a puzzling sentence.
This list may well be continued. Most of the listed reading strategies are on the
subconscious level and come from general reading ability in one's native language. The
teacher’s task is to enable learners to transfer these strategies to reading in English or
to develop them while teaching younger learners.

In reading for pleasure any of the above ways of reading may be used depending on
what the reader wants from her reading.

Another way of looking at ways of reading is to consider to what extent the text gets
exploited for learning purposes. We can differentiate between extensive and intensive
reading.

Extensive reading means reading longer texts, usually for your own pleasure. This is a
fluency activity, mainly involving global understanding. It aims at developing speed of
reading and guessing strategies.

Intensive reading means reading shorter texts in order to extract specific information
and to examine language, i.e. to work out the grammar of a particular sentence, to look
for all the words related to a topic, etc. This is more an accuracy activity, aimed at
accurate understanding of the text. The aim of these activities is to make learners more
aware of how language is used.

These different ways of reading are not mutually exclusive. For example, we often skim
through a passage to see what it is about before deciding whether it is worth scanning a
particular paragraph for the information we are looking for.

Language textbooks are compiled mainly of texts meant for intensive reading. These
texts are processed in the lesson
-- at word level: to introduce and practice vocabulary and become aware of lexical links
within the text
-- at sentence level: to analyse the grammar of each sentence and grammatical links
between sentences
-- at whole text level: to analyse text structure and type.
As a rule the final stage of intensive text processing deals with relating the information
in it to learners' life experience and knowledge of the world and interpreting this
information.

STAGES OF A READING LESSON

While devising exercises aimed at developing reading comprehension, we should keep
in mind that there are several types of reading and they depend on one's reasons for
reading. Learners will never read efficiently unless they can adapt their reading speed
and techniques to their aim when reading. By reading all texts in the same way, learners
would waste time and fail to remember points of importance to them because they
would absorb too much non-essential information.

As a rule there are three main stages in a reading lesson:

Pre-reading activities: an introduction to the topic. These activities draw in the

learner's current knowledge or attitude to the subject, and create the state of
anticipation preparing the learner for a 'dialogue' with the text. Through an introduction
activity the learner forms a number of questions which she expects to find answers to in
the text, and while reading she is looking for those answers. This expectation is inherent
in the process of reading which is a permanent interrelationship between the reader and
the text. Pre-reading activities, for example, may include the following tasks:

1) predicting from the title the content of the text

2) guessing the content from the list of key words
3) Discussing illustrations to the text
4) answering questions about the topic and thus eliciting background information
While-reading activities: a series of comprehension activities aimed at creating
meaning of the text. Sometimes the same text is read a few times, each time with a
different task. These activities focus on understanding cohesive grammatical and lexical
relations within sentences and between parts of the text. This stage can be also used to
focus on new structures and vocabulary of the lesson when a reading passage is a
means of introducing new language. Or it may include awareness-raising activities.
They all aid comprehension. For example,
1) questions of different kinds: open or multiple-choice questions
2) true/false statements
3) Choosing the best title
4) decision-making activities: drawing a diagram with the information given in the text
5) completing a table or a document, solving a problem
6) matching exercises: headings and paragraphs, questions and answers
7) comparing several texts in their content or points of view
8) activities aimed at developing study skills, such as using a dictionary
9) leaving out unessential information by highlighting key ideas and words
10) note-taking and summarizing
11) guessing the meaning of unknown words
12) making inferences and reading between lines
13) jig-saw reading
14) ordering a sequence of pictures
Post-reading activities: learners are asked to relate the information in the text to their
own lives (personalisation) or exchange their opinions on issues in the text. The ability
to evaluate and assess the text in order to develop critical reading skills is the aim here.

strategies & methods to encourage

learning
There‘s more than one way to teach children to read. So, it‘s important to have a range
of different strategies and methods to encourage learning in different students.

Teaching reading: strategies & methods

1. Read aloud to students

2. Provide opportunities for students to read, write and talk about texts
3. Read texts repeatedly to support fluency
4. Teach children the tools to figure out words they don‘t know
5. Provide time for studying spoken language, including vocabulary and spelling
6. Use prior knowledge to make connections
7. Predict
8. Visualize
9. Summarize
10. Teach critical thinking skills
The early years: strategies for teaching reading
Literacy teaching and learning are core responsibilities of teachers and schools. Yet
teaching reading and writing is a complex and highly skilled professional activity. Many
young learners start school with little knowledge about how to read and write. Teachers
are tasked with helping children to bridge the significant gap between linking their
written and spoken language. Learning to read is critical, with research showing that
reading for pleasure can:

 Promote improved health and wellbeing

 Help build social connections and relationships
 Increase the chances of social mobility.

Literacy development is an evolving and non-linear process that encompasses

foundational skills (phonemic awareness), word recognition, reading fluency,
vocabulary, and reading comprehension (Simms & Marzano, 2018).

For a student‘s ultimate success, teachers must:

 Understand how students learn these skills, and

 Implement best practices when teaching these skills.

Learning to read should include exposure to a wide variety of exciting books from
different genres. Students should also experience reading through different mediums,
such as interactive apps and web content.

Here are 10 strategies you can use to support your students in developing their reading
skills and boosting comprehension.

1. Read aloud to students

Read-aloud regularly in the classroom and encourage parents to do the same at home.
Reading aloud has many benefits for students, including improving comprehension,
building listening skills, and broadening their vocabulary development.

2. Provide opportunities for students to read, write, and talk about texts
Regularly giving students time to read, write, and talk about texts can enhance their skill
development across multiple areas. For instance, reading more helps you become a
better writer. By talking about texts and hearing the perspectives of classmates, young
children also have the opportunity to deepen their comprehension. Encourage parents
to further engage young readers by asking them to help their child attack difficult
words and ask questions about the text that will promote discussions.

3. Read texts repeatedly to support fluency

Allow students to read the same texts multiple times. By doing this, they not only build
fluency but also build confidence. The more confident they become in their reading
skills, the more likely they will enjoy reading.

4. Teach children the tools to figure out words they don’t know
Teaching students to read for the ultimate goal of producing independent readers
begins by explicitly teaching the code we use to decode words. That starts with
teaching phonemic awareness.

Here are some other strategies that support phonics instruction:

 For beginning readers, target words that are decodable. These are regular spellings with
regular sounds. (Ex. such – /s/ /u/ /ch/ not gone)
 Sound out each phoneme and blend as you go by going back to the first sound
everytime a sound is added. Hold the sound (sing) then add the next sound. Ex. /g/, /r/,
gr—, /ow/, grow.

Note: Students may want to look at pictures for context, but this does not help them
decode words. As we encourage students to read more difficult texts, they won‘t have
pictures to rely on, so encourage them not to use the pictures to decode difficult words.

This might involve combining strategies, such as:

 Sounding out a word using phonics knowledge

 Looking at the pictures
 Skipping the word and coming back to it after reading the rest of the sentence
 Thinking about what would make sense.

As an elementary teacher, you can support the families of your young students by
sharing phonics resources. By providing parents with practical resources, you are
setting them up for a productive and positive reading experience with their child.

5. Provide time for studying spoken language, including vocabulary and spelling
A comprehensive approach to teaching reading also includes providing time to develop
complementary skills, such as:
  Spoken language, including through conversation or oral presentations
 Vocabulary, such as building class lists while reading texts
 Spelling
 Grammar, such as through bite-sized video content like the Grammar Miniclips series.

6. Use prior knowledge to make connections

Each student brings unique prior knowledge to their reading education. This knowledge
is the sum of all experiences they bring to the reading or viewing of a text. This could
include personal experiences, cultural or religious experiences and concept
knowledge. Prior knowledge helps young readers infer meaning from text, a skill
recognized as a predictor of reading comprehension at various developmental stages
and one of the drivers of sophisticated reading ability. An early reader can activate prior
knowledge and make connections at each stage.

 Before reading, they could ask ‗What do I already know about this topic?‘
 During reading, they could reflect ‗This part of the text is just like…‘
 After reading, they could offer ‗I know more about this topic now.‘

7. Predict
Prediction is about anticipation and working out the actions and ideas coming next. An
early reader can use prediction at each stage of reading.

 Before reading, they could suggest ‗From the cover, I think this book will be about…‘
 During reading, they could predict which word comes next in a sentence.
 After reading, they could comment on whether their predictions were correct.

8. Visualize
Visualizing combines using your senses and activating prior knowledge to create a
mental picture. Ask students to create a ―mind movie.‖ Young readers, especially with a
teacher or parent prompting, can draw on their senses to imagine smells, sounds,
tastes, and images that go with the story they are reading – like a show or movie in their
mind.

9. Summarize
Teaching students to recall the main points or ideas of a story is not easy. First, they
need to be able to put the story in order, then put it in their own words before they can
articulate a ‗summing up‘ of the author‘s main ideas. To start to learn to summarize,
young students can practice:

 Selecting the key words from a paragraph

  Locating the topic sentence (often found at the start or end of a paragraph)
 Responding to general questions about a story
 Talking through the story in their own words

10. Teach critical thinking skills

Critical thinking gets readers to think about why an author creates a text in a particular
way (author‘s purpose). You can encourage young readers to ask some of the following
questions to get them thinking critically about what they are reading:

 Why did the author write this story?

 What did the author leave out of the story?
 How do I feel about this story?
Reading comprehension strategies
Opportunities for teaching reading comprehension occur at all levels throughout the
curriculum. Good comprehension draws from both linguistic knowledge and knowledge
of the world we live in. Students develop skills in comprehension though high-quality
discussion with teachers, and from regularly reading and discussing a range of texts
across genres. Therefore, the reading strategies discussed earlier in the article should
be practiced, consolidated and expanded on as a student progresses through school.

Growing readers must learn to read on the lines, between the lines, and beyond the
lines. Reading will involve literal, interpretive, and inferential comprehension as it
deepens in complexity. As students get more advanced, they‘ll learn concepts such as
transferring knowledge to new contexts and understanding an author‘s viewpoint,
purpose, and intended audience. And when they acquire those skills, they‘ll be able to
critically analyze messages and information in a range of literacy modes for various
purposes.

Recommendations for teachers to support the progression of reading

comprehension:

 Make sure your students spend significant amounts of time reading engaging texts.
 Select texts for students which support authentic learning. These could include topic-
based or interest-based texts.
 Give students access to a range of texts in various genres (multimodal, print-based,
images, animations, graphic representations, video, audio, diagrams/charts,
newspapers/magazines, fiction, non-fiction).
 Identify and discuss vocabulary from rich texts with your students.
 Give your students time to talk to each other about the texts they have read and listened
to.
 Give students time to write and reflect on their reading.

What is summarizing?
In student-friendly terms, summarizing is telling the most important parts of a text, in your own
words, in a much shorter way. Teaching summarizing shows students how to discern the
essential ideas in a text, how to ignore irrelevant information, and how to integrate the central
ideas in a meaningful way. Teaching students to summarize improves their memory for what
they read and acts as a check for comprehension. Summarizing is a complex skill that will
continue to develop over time, as students read increasingly complex texts.
 Why teach summarizing?
 It helps students learn to determine essential ideas and consolidate important details that
support those ideas.

 It enables students to focus on key words and phrases of an assigned text that are worth
remembering.

 It teaches students how to take a large selection of text and reduce it to the main points for
more concise understanding.

 Summarizing skills are applicable in almost every content area.

How to teach summarizing

Summarizing can be tricky, even for adults. The leap from retelling — which asks readers to
recall the events in a story in logical order — to determining what is important or essential in a
story and condensing the information into a summary, is a big one. A good way to scaffold young
readers’ growing ability to summarize is to model and practice summarizing routines. The routine
or structure that makes the most sense will be different depending on students’ age and
experience.

Less experienced students

Try transitioning from structured routines for teaching story sequence, such as “Beginning,
Middle, and End” and “First, Next, Then, Last”, to structured summarizing routines such as
“Someone Wanted But So Then” or “Five-Finger (5Ws)” summarizing. These scaffolds give
students a visual representation of their thinking and a way to structure their responses while
prompting them to think about more than just the sequence of events.
 More experienced students
For students who have had more practice identifying story elements and determining important
ideas, try using more open-ended routines such as Sum it Up for $2.00 or other keyword-
focused approaches to summarizing.
For students who are comfortable with the concept of main ideas and important details:

1. Begin by reading or by having students listen to the text selection to be summarized.

2. Ask students the following framework questions:

 What are the main ideas?

 What are the crucial details necessary for supporting the main ideas?

 What information is irrelevant or unnecessary?

3. Have them use keywords or phrases to identify main points from the text.