Helping Elemenatary School Students to Establish a Reading Habit

I love teaching and I love working with kids!

The past few days, I had the opportunity of being back in the classroom and share my love of learning with students and teachers. It was an uplifting and exhilarating experience!

 Since English is not the mother tongue of these kids,  nurturing a love of reading  and cultivating a reading habit in these students will help to improve their English skills.

I  taught and worked with elementary school students for the past three decades.  When teaching reading to students,   I found that the follow  strategies  helped my students to love reading:  

Teaching Strategies for Reading

a.       Pick an interesting and age appropriate story/ book for students

b.       Before reading the story to students,  ask them to look at the cover / pictures of the book

     Pre reading  activity

Discuss background information - a Pre reading activity

a.       Based on the cover  pictures/ illustrations,  ask students what they think the story is about. Get them start thinking about and be interested in the story.

b.      After the students express their guess of the story. Discuss the background of the story/ topic with the class.

c.       Teacher starts reading the story.

d.       Read with tone variation, different speed and voice levels .

   

Ask student to predict what happens next in the story

 






   Prediction 

a, Before turning to the next page, pause and ask students what they think may happen next.  This prediction discussion gives students opportunity to practice their logical and sequential  skills as well as their  imagination. 
b.    Continue reading, asking questions.  Encourage students to respond.

Students acting out part of the story they read

c.   Reading  should be a fun and interactive learning experience.

  Participation

a.The teacher can ask student to make certain sound or respond in certain way whenever you come to a certain character.
b. Have student participate actively in the story reading process.

    Post reading activities

a.    Discuss story, characters, meaning of story etc.

b.      Students can assume the characters and act out the story.

c.        Students can  write or draw  a different ending to the story

d.      Students can write or draw their most favorite part of the story

Schedule a regular time in your timetable for class reading.  Guided reading should happen at least 1-2 times a week so that the teacher can demonstrate the steps for reading.
  
  As a teacher, you would certainly stimulate your students’ interest and they will look forward to reading in class!

R.T.

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Week of November 24, 2014