Reading in English

In this chapter we are going to see a new skill: reading. It seems the easiest skill because there are a lot of resources and it is easy for a person that is learning a second language to read in English than another skills such as speaking or listening. It is something more natural and predictable. You don´t have to know the meaning of all the words that you have in a sentence to understand the sentence.

>>Beginning reading
Do your pupils know how to read in their own language? This is a big step because children have to
understand the association between what they hear and what they read. Do you teach reading in English in the same way as you teach reading in your mother tongue? Learning to read in English is not as difficult if children can read in their own language, even if it is written in a different script. Your teaching situation is the most important factor when deciding how you should teach reading.
There are two main approaches to teaching reading in English:

 

•  LOOK AND SAY. Teachers often use 'look and say' as part of vocabulary teaching. So when
  children learn to say a new word they learn to read it. You can help children with whole word recognition by using printed material as much as you can in your classroom. e.g. word cards used for labelling and directions. Of course, the new words are learnt in context. This can also be done with phrases. Children use the same recognition skills when they are remembering a word or a short phrase.

 

•  PHONICS (letters used to make sounds). English spelling is difficult. Children need to learn how to recognize sounds and letters. It is better not to teach the names of letters when
  starting to teach reading, as of course some of the letters of the English alphabet no longer match the actual sounds of the language. When you use phonics, you are teaching children the way the letter sounds, not the name ofthe letter.

 

 >> Activities to help children connect sounds with letters

Children whose first language is written in roman script can learn the
first letter of their own name and look for their 'special words': Ana - apple, art.
Let children with non -roman script names pick their favourite thing/colour/animal and use the first letter as their special letter: panda - pocket - picture.
Play alphabet games:
- memory games - using letter cards

 - initial letter games - children recognize and collect the first letters of- different words: What letter does mango begin with?
- feel the letter - children close their eyes and touch cut -out sandpaper
letters on a card. Find the 't'for tiger.

>> Activities to help children connect sound recognition with clusters of written letters

• Make children aware of the patterns in:

- final word endings that rhyme in songs and chants
- games and songs with a focus on beginning sounds
- displays or games that emphasize a particular sound.

• Help them focus on visual sound patterns, for example, pi cluster in plant-planet-plane, and the stcluster in star-stamp-story.

• Talk about these patterns with the children - help them to see how they can use this awareness to guess words.

• Let children point to these patterns/words when you are all reading something together.

• Colour or highlight these patterns on word cards .

>> Helping children recognize phrases

Children acquire words and phrases when they listen. As they become familiar with phrases in English they are unconsciously learning about word order. When they start to read and later to write, you can do activities:

- that consolidate what they have heard and show them the same patterns, written down
- that allow children to slowly become aware of word order.