How to Set Up a Reading Centre in an Elementary School Classroom

Display the books neatly in class

Setting up a Reading Centre in the classroom is important if a teacher wants to establish the habit of reading in students.  Here are some tips on how to set up a reading Center

1 Where  -      Choose a corner of the classroom

2 What to include?   Display age appropriate story books/ reading material  nicely and neatly on a book shelf or in storage bins.

3.       Books should be of a variety  of topics: sports,  animals, science, fiction, non-fiction books, cartoon/ comic books, joke books, famous people, children’s magazines  etc. 

Students recommend their favourite part of tehee story

4.         Books should also reflect the interest, cultural  and ethic background of students

5.       For beginner English learners, choose high interest, low vocabulary books with lots of pictures and illustrations.  

Create a comfortable reading area for students to read!!

    How - Create a relaxing, quiet and comfortable environment for students to read

   When reading,  students can sit on chairs, cushions or on the floor. 
      Sometimes students may share a book and have discussions among themselves about what they read.       Monitor the discussions. As long as they are talking about their reading, that will be fine. 

  

  Student  independent reading time should take place every day in school if possible.

   Each reading period can be from 15 - 30 minutes depending on the age of students

 Tracking and Reward

Tracking sheet for individual student to record the books they have read

 -  Once a week, ask students to take turn to share of what they have read in class.

Student tracking their own reading

-    Encourage students to  record books they have finished reading on an individual tracking sheet

 -  Encourage students to give rating on the books they have finished reading. 
-  I ask students to draw a happy face on the rating column if they like the book, a sad face if they don't like it. Some students ask me if they can draw more than one happy face. Of course, the number of happy faces they draw represent how much they like the book, similar to our five star rating of hotels, restaurant etc.
  
-   Post these individual reading tracking sheet around the Reading Corner.

- This will help to motivate students to read as they see how many books others  have read. 

Students love to read! Make reading a daily activity in the classroom!

 Reward students when they have completed and filled each Tracking sheet.

 Put up a new tracking sheet and file the completed tracking sheets in students’ folders for record.

Teacher Noel is enthusiastic about the Reading Centre in his classroom

When teachers show their enthusiasm for reading and learning, their love of learning will filter down to their students and they will become a life long reader because of their teachers' influence.

A Professional Learning Community - Teachers learning from each other

 Teachers are one of the most significant role models in our students' lives!

Hats off to those who put forth great efforts in introducing the precious gift of reading to their students when they are young and impressionable!

R.T.
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Week of Nov. 24, 2014

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

Links to Kids Songs for Learning Engish

I had a blast working with the teachers at the Christan International School in Phnom Penh last week. 

Many of the teachers at the school are young, energetic, love their students and were eager to learn about the latest researched strategies and utilize them to help kids to achieve their maximum potential.

We discussed in our last Saturday's workshop the fun ways of using songs in learning a new language for kindergarten students. I promised the teachers that I would post the links to some fun and easy action songs for their young students. Here they are: 

Links to Kids Songs

B.I.N.G.O.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWgexFRUv5o

5 Little Monkeys jumping on the bed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWO9uP_VJV8

Head and shoulder knee and toes – Exercises song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4eueDYPTIg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNcSKJQfrfM

Five Little ducks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFoUuFq3vHw

Wheels on the bus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP-MbfHFUqs

Twinkle  twinkle little star

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMMJ5IIbHLw

Older Children

Who is the king of the jungle?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJwUvjVq9k4&index=3&list=PL8E00096D93DD30FC

I will follow Jesus – Dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx6RWOuF1M8

For my entry to a teacher professional workshop, please see the link below.

 http://rtam1206.blogspot.com/2014/11/teacher-training-phnom-penh-cambodia.html

R.T.

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Learning Style - A Teacher Traning Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Students at the Christian School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

One of the main purposes for my visit to Cambodia is to provide support and training to teachers at a Christian school in Phnom Penh.

We had the first three hour professional development session last Saturday and we talked about the different types of learners in the workshop.

I promised the teachers that I would post my power points on my blog. Here are my notes for the workshop:


  After introducing myself to the teachers of the school, we did an ice breaking activity. I passed a ball around among the teachers, whoever had the ball in his/ her hand, they introduced themselves by telling us:

1.Name   2. the c lass he/she teaches   3. A favorite thing to do      4. A place he/she would like to visit

Next we discuss about the importance of knowing your students.

 •Background - cultural, economic, family 

•Past experiences •Strengths and weaknesses  

•Likes and dislikes   

              What types of learners they are

T            The teachers each did a questionnaire to find out what 

               type of learners they are. In general:  

               There are three types of Learners:

        •Visual Learners

        •Auditory Learners

        •Kinesthetic Learners

          1. Visual Learners

        •29% 

        •prefers to learn by storing images in brain

•use pictures

•words/ texts

•magazines

•info in bullet points

•key words/ post it 

 Practical Strategies for Visual Learners

         •Draw pictures

•Use diagrams

•Graphic organizers

•Summarize and take notes

•Draw timelines 

e.g.Look at your hand

 Write down 1 thing for each finger, something nice about your family. favourite animal/ toy/ game/ Phnom Penh

 For older students:

•Write a piece with a beginning.

•Follow by a paragraph for each finger topic

•Finish with ending paragraph

 2.  Auditory Learners

 •34% 

•prefers to learn by storing sounds in brain 

•learn with friends 

•listen to music while learning 

•repeat work out loud in funny noises 

•use DVD, CD, computer program to have text spoken

 Practical Strategies for Auditory Learners

For young children:

•Whole class discussion 

•Play music as you learn 

•Songs 

 Show and Tell

For older children 

 Small group discussions 

•Class debate 

•Interviews 

•Oral reports to family/ to class Make presentation

 Hands on activities for Auditory Learners:

•Play a simple English song for the students 

•Teach them how to sing it 

•Divide students into groups 

•Have students find and discuss the following in the song:

•Nouns – people, places, things

•Identify the pronouns 

•Identify the adjectives

 •Identify the verbs

3. Kinesthetic Learners 

•37% 

•prefer to learn by movement / touch 

•touch, feel or do things 

•use computers 

•walk around while reading•stand up and stretch 

 Practical Strategies for Kinesthetic Learners

Cambodian teachers sharing hands on activity for students

        •Drawing

         •Role play

        •Finding info in each corner of the room

         Tracing letters

        •Computers 

        •Group work 

          Games 

        •Scavenger Hunt 

         •Puzzles 

Hands – On Activities  Primary / Junior  students

    • Choose and read an age appropriate story to students 

     After reading and explaining the story  
     •Divide students into groups of  3 - 5
     •Have students act out the story 

     Conclusion
     • Teaching children is an important job.
•Children are precious. 

It was a pleasure working with teachers in Cambodia

•Each one of them is unique. 
•We need to understand they
 are unique individuals. 
•Teachers need to meet students’needs.


R.T.
Director - TECA
Toronto Education & Communications Associates
Volunteering in 
Phnom Penh
Cambodia