Choosing and making Graded Reading materials
KOTESOL Oct 2009
Rob Waring
www.robwaring.org
Selection of materials occurs at many stages
When purchasing
select a wide variety of materials, fiction, non-fiction, classics, original stories
select books at various levels corresponding to the profile of your students’ present and future ability
buy multiple copies of popular books
buy class sets – for introducing ER, for working on a story together, as a ‘summer reader’
keep part of your budget unspent so you can adjust your library later
ask students to help select books
get feedback from students as they hand back books, record the books they like / hate
be aware of the series available www.robwaring.org/
When selecting a ‘class reader’
make sure 90% of the students can read it – provide help to those who can’t
make sure it’s a story that they all will want to read – something relevant and connected their world
appropriate length
choose an really easy class reader for introducing ER to the students
When students select their own books
4 criteria for Extensive Reading - READ
Read quickly and
Enjoyably, where
Almost everything is understood and your
Dictionary is not needed
Tell them to stop reading if it’s too hard
Ideas for Extensive Reading and Listening
Before doing ER
Find out each others’ reading history. What do they read? How different / similar is reading in L1 and L2? (Discussion or questionnaire) Ask students to bring in a sample of what they read in L1 (or L2).
Discuss their beliefs about reading. Is it best to read slowly and carefully or quickly? Do you have to understand everything? Is it ok to use a dictionary? Where’s the best place to read? Who should decide what I read? etc.
Choosing books / reading material
Point out features of books, blurbs, glossaries, comprehension sections etc.
Ask students to predict the story genre from the cover.
Ensure the books are easy to identify by level (and genre?). use color coding on the spines. Ask students to help.
Students assess whether a book at the level they’re reading is higher or lower than the average book at that level. Reassign the level as necessary.
Ask students to scout local libraries / publishers’ catalogues and bring back recommendations
Students make ‘genre corner’ displays -.e. a selection of horror stories with posters, or romances etc.
Pre-reading (best when students all have the same book)
Put many titles on a desk and they discuss which covers are best.
They look at many covers and blurbs and then are tested on what they remember (Which story will probably have a ghost? Which story is about a ship?)
Have a ‘Book Hunt”, Make a quiz with questions they answer by finding the book. Which book has 5 stories? Which book is s love story with Maria and Felix? Which book did David Andrews write?
Copy several illustrations form books, ask the students which book they come from and why.
Predict the story from the title and cover, art work. Predict when , where it takes lace, the characters etc.
Look at the cover and blurb, then make questions about the story before reading. They read and find the
answers to their questions.
Predict the story by looking only a chapter headings
If the book is a movie or classical story, show a trailer for the movie.
For famous stories ask students what they already know about the book, author, plot etc. e.g. Romeo and Juliet, Jane Eyre, Shakespeare, The Jungle Book, Charles Dickens.
Getting students involved
Ask students to categorize their books into genres and note this information inside the book cover.
Have a library with interesting books, students help select the titles from publisher’s catalogues
Ask students to be ‘library monitors’ – helping check out, return and shelve books, make displays etc..
Ask them to donate books if they buy them. They write ‘Donated by xxx, date’ inside
They raise money for the library by selling food, holding a readathon or asking for donations at the school festival etc..
Get them to discuss if the book is the same level as other books at that level, suggest re-leveling books
Ask them to make a class/ school blog on a website with reviews and recommendations
Put ‘review cards’ inside each book cover for students to rate the book with stars of smiley faces
Students make a poster advertising a book they read. Put them on the board or wall for them to explain.
Students vote on the top ten books of the semester
Get students to help you build a reading lounge somewhere in the school.
Getting them to read more
Have an interesting library with posters, displays, post book reviews on the wall etc
Have them look at all the books in the library, tell them to make a reading list for the semester.
Give higher grades for students who read more (best do this by number of pages than number of books)
Have wall chart of which student has read how many pages. The top readers get higher grades, prize etc.
Have ‘book spots’ – students tell the class which books they like
They keep a ‘reading log’ of what they have read throughout the week. Everything from textbooks, readers, road signs, posters, adverts etc.
“My best reader’ discussions help others choose good books. The most popular books can be labeled with a star on the cover or ‘best read’ ‘class favorite’ stickers.
Hold a ‘reading marathon’ e.g. at a school festival. Students compete to read the most in a set time – e.g. 8 hours. Books at different lengths or difficulties could be labeled ‘1km’ or ‘3km’. They have to read 42km (a marathon distance. This can be used to ask people to sponsor people to read at say $1 per book, or 1000 words and use the money to buy books.
Start a Book Club / Reading Corner at your school. Students discuss their favorites.
Making native text easier
Bring in (or ask students to find) newspaper cuttings, magazine articles, website prints etc. the students may like. They select a different one each. Students look up words they don’t know and write on the text in their language. They explain the text to another student. Student 2 can now read it easily as the first student graded it. Put all the papers in the middle of the room and student 3 takes it home. Repeat for the rest of the semester.
Ask them to write a sequel, a different ending, or even their own story!
More ideas www.robwaring.org/er/ideas/ideas.htm