DR. MICHAEL REED THE UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY

NOVEMBER 10, 2012 REED@FINDLAY.EDU

What does an “Interactive” reading lesson for ESL learners look like?

�  This presentation approaches reading in K-6 from three important

perspectives:

�  1. What is a “best practice” in terms of reading pedagogy for ELL’s?

�  2. What kind of reading approach is necessary for ESL to thrive in our

current school climate?

�  3. What are the outside demands placed on ESL reading teachers by a

test- dominated environment?

�  Regarding the first issue of “best practices,” the consensus among reading experts seems to be that a combined approach, which involves both top-down and bottom-up reading strategies serves the majority of ELL readers best.

�  The “Interactive” approach to teaching reading, which I will promote here, “blends” both top-down and bottom up strategies- but for ELL’s, these should be introduced in a specific order.

�  On the issue of outside forces impacting the teaching of reading, we must face the reality that young ELL readers must learn “decoding” skills to successfully move through K-6 reading `scope and sequences.’

�  Additionally, our ELL’s have to “pass” a myriad of local and state proficiency tests that require mastery of both micro and macro reading skills.

�  This requirement of our readers to be competent `decoders’ as well as have a repertoire of sight words is reflected in this quote from Teaching Reading to English Language Learners

“Any learners who have not been exposed to basic principles of decoding in

English will have to acquire them, no matter their age. In addition, any learner of English will have to learn that some English words are simply not decodable, and must be memorized as whole words, sometime called “sight words.” There is no way around this, either for native speakers of ELL’s due to the opaque nature of English orthography.” Lems, Miller & Soro (2010, p. 85)

�  However, it is just as obvious that just being able to decode well is not enough to produce good readers.

�  “ The benefits of children learning to decode early on, however,

do not necessarily translate into long term superiority in reading comprehension, because reading is so much more the decoding.”

Lems, Miller & Soro (2010, p. 78)

�  Thus, I have tried to make the argument for including both a bottom-up and top-down approach for ELL’s.

�  But what are the elements of an “interactive approach” for ELL readers?

�  And what does an Interactive reading lesson for ELL’s look like?

Basic Elements of an Interactive Approach

�  As taken from Reutzel & Cooter (1996). Teaching Children to Read, an Interactive reading lesson….

�  blends phonics skills with comprehension skills

�  proposes that meaning and enjoyment of reading are critical because “the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts”

�  depicts the brain as a “parallel processor” with one part a) focused on decoding the other b) focused on automatically recognizing word and bringing background information into the reading

�  Includes 3 pillars of instruction in 1) vocabulary 2) decoding and 3) comprehension

�  sees reading as highly skills- based �  emphasizes that background is important and allows for different story

interpretations �  has significant teacher-control

�  But we need to ask: Are there any procedures that should be adhered to or added for an interactive lesson plan designed specifically for ELL’s?

�  Yes, and they are…..

�  1. Focus first on meaning and enjoyment before diving into skill work.

�  2. Add a wealth of scaffolds before, during and after reading the book.

�  3. Use real literature.

�  4. Place extra emphasis on student involvement and interaction at all

points in the lesson.

�  Here are the major areas/steps which I think should be included in an Interactive reading lesson:

�  1. Warm-up- Engagement �  2. Preview the text �  3. Reading strategy instruction �  4. Read the book using multiple approaches �  5. Vocabulary/Syntax work �  6. Phonics/ skills work �  7. Extension activities

�  Using this background I will use two children’s books to show what an Interactive reading lesson plan for ELL’s would look like.

�  The two books are: 1) Over in the Meadow and 2) Heckedy Peg

�  Let’s take a look, then, at some sequences that would be involved in an “Interactive reading lesson” for ELL’s based on the predictable trade book, Over in the Meadow.

�  To be consistent with the techniques mentioned, we need a meaningful “warm-up” with lots of contextualization.

�  Thus, we can begin with some pictures of meadows, and streams, and

students can be asked such initiating questions as:

�  Have you ever walked in a meadow? What did you see there? When you walked near a stream, what did you see/ feel? What animals live in or near streams?

�  A preview of the text can be performed by showing some of the animals and places that will be found in the story.

�  Ask the children which of these animals they recognize. i.e. bluebird, fish, lizard

�  To create competent, independent readers we need to teach reading strategies. For this book, I would teach the strategy of “connecting parts of the book in a logical order.”

�  I would tell students to be aware of how they might remember sequences in the book by

remembering the animals based on the numbers associated with them.

�  Thus, I would have the numbers written out from one to ten, and, on the second reading have kids match the animal pictures to the appropriate number.

�  one--à turtle six--à crow C o rvus  c o rn ix  

�  On the second reading, groups of three will be assigned three pages apiece to read aloud after practice.

�  Then, when all groups read their parts, they will line up in order and this gives a complete, structured visual of the story’s sequences.

�  A final reading can be done silently with teacher questions every four pages to assure comprehension.

� Teaching Vocabulary:

�  There are so many possibilities ranging from a focus on the animals, or verbs or locations.

�  I’ve chosen “locations” plus any accompanying adjectives:- meadow, stream, reeds, snug beehive, mossy gate, soft shady glen, etc. These can all be taught using movement to match words with pictures.

�  Teaching Grammar/Syntactic Structures

�  This story lends itself to practicing present and past tense. This can be taught through a dramatic-type reading activity.

�  One group/side reads the present tense command of the mother, and the other group/side gives the reply in the past tense.

�  E.g. Group 1: “Swim said the mother” Group 2: “So we swam said the two” Group 1: “Buzz said the mother” Group 2 “So we buzzed said the five” Group 1: “Chirp said the mother” Group 2: “So we chirped said the

seven”

�  There are multiple opportunities for “phonics” practice since there are several obvious patterns that appear with frequency:

�  I like practice with the long “o” formed by two patterns: 1. initial long o as in over, old 2. final long o created by the `ow’ spelling as in meadow, crow �  For consonant practice I would select “initial m” because `meadow’ and `mother’ appear on every page.

�  Extension activities:

�  1. Do a Reader’s Theater in which students act out the actions of each animal as students read different parts- swim, dig, buzz, caw

�  2. Rewrite and illustrate 2 pages of the story changing the animals and actions:

E.g. Over in the meadow where the stream runs blue Lived an old mother WHALE and her little WHALIES two.

�  The second book is Heckety Peg, the story of seven children who are told not let anyone in when there mother goes shopping.

�  I will cover only a few due to time constraints.

�  The “warm-up” is easy. A class discussion of “behaving your parents” and “When have you not behaved your parents?” along with some consequences of misbehaving should be a good starter.

�  The class will be told that, in this story, we will see what happens to children who do not follow their mother’s orders- and this is made even worse because it involves – a WITCH!

�  Preview the text- a walk-through of just a few of pictures in the book after reading just the first three pages and stopping after reading the mother’s warming:

�  “Now be careful, and remember---- don’t let a stranger in and don’t touch fire.”

Students are asked what might happen in the story.

�  3. Reading strategy instruction- without giving details, the reading strategy that I would spend time with is:

Using background to identify possible “feeling” of the characters such as the children, the mother and the witch.

�  4. Syntax work

�  Using the formats in the books Monday became bread. Tuesday became pie.

X (person/thing) became Y (a change) Ice became water. Bill became a lawyer.

�  5. Read the book using multiple approaches

�  For the first reading, the teacher would read the entire book, but do a Directed-Listening- Thinking approach in which after each 4 or 5 pages she would stop and ask students to predict what they think will happen.

�  On the second reading, the teacher reads the first pages and then, in

groups of three or four they read the next page. Process is repeated until the book is finished

�  6. Phonics- skipped

�  7. Extension activities- Groups of 4 students write their book using different students (or other people) who are turned into different kinds of food- but all healthy foods. The setting and manner of disobeying might be different.

�  Dr. Reed became carrots. Dr. Fennema became lettuce. (The dean

turned them into food after the skipped a key meeting)

�  Conclusions:

�  The Interactive reading approach is one that, in my opinion, best serves the needs of K-6 ELL readers.

�  However, traditional approaches to this method must be dramatically modified and scaffolded in ways that reflect the special needs of ELL’s.