Managing and running an Extensive Reading program
Rob Waring
waring_robert@yahoo.com
Notre Dame Seishin University
Okayama, Japan
1. WHAT IS EXTENSIVE READING?
Intensive Reading
Analysis of the language
Usually difficult
Little
teacher selects
All learners study the
same material
In class
Checked by specific
questions
LINGUISTIC FOCUS
DIFFICULTY
AMOUNT
SELECTION
WHAT MATERIAL
WHERE
COMPREHENSION
Extensive Reading
Fluency, skill forming
Very easy
A book a week
Learner selects
All learners read different
things (something
interesting to them)
Mostly at home
Checked by reports /
summaries
Intensive Reading and coursebooks help because they: allow students to meet new language, vocabulary or learning strategies.
 allow a teacher to check that students understand.
 allow a teacher to ‘teach’ something.
But Intensive reading does NOT:
 allow students to read anything they choose, as all students read the same material.
 allow students to go their own pace – everyone goes at the same speed.
 allow students to read at their own ability level.
 build reading speed as the reading is slow and difficult.
 provide massive language input as the texts are short and difficult.
 introduce the thousands and thousands of collocations and colligations students need.
Common sense tells us………
 We need textbooks / work books and classes to teach new language.
 Textbooks do not, and cannot, teach everything.
 Textbooks do not recycle language. Textbooks are about introducing NEW language.
 Students who only meet new things each lesson will soon forget previously learnt things
unless they meet that language again soon and often.
 Teachers must fight against the forgetting curve by recycling the vocabulary and grammar
patterns many many times. Thus, ‘the most important vocabulary to learn is yesterday’s
vocabulary’.
 Textbooks teach us about vocabulary and grammar, they do not teach us to use it.
Language learnt in textbooks is discrete and abstract. It is not available for use.
 Students must meet lots and lots of language - MASSIVE amounts of controlled language
through reading (or listening to) LOTS of EASY language.
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The Book Flood (Mangubhai, 2001)
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Experimental Group
8 schools in rural Fiji
normal English programme
500 children’s books per school
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Control Group
4 schools in rural Fiji
normal English programme
no extra books
Pre-Test
 reading comprehension
Pre- Test
 reading comprehension
Post-Test
 reading comprehension
 listening comprehension
 writing
 grammar
Post-Test
 reading comprehension
 listening comprehension
 writing
 grammar
Results
 twice the progress in reading
 much better scores on listening
 much better scores on grammar
 better scores on writing
Results
 half the progress in reading
 much worse scores on listening
 much worse scores on grammar
 worse scores on writing
Why do ER programs fail?
 inappropriate materials – too difficult, not interesting
 too much forced reading too early
 it’s seen as an option rather than an essential part of the English curriculum
 students are not involved in the programs
Before you do ER – TEACH PHONICS!!!
 Teach them through phonics – from sound to letters
 Use flashcards to identify words.
 Story telling with phonicsbooks.
 Be careful of asking them to read along. It can inhibit learning once they become selfconscious. They also focus on the words not the meanings
2. PLANNING
What will the program look like?
It will …….
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be an integral part of the school’s curriculum
raise the learners’ reading ability and general English levels
have knock-on effects on their writing skills, spelling, grammar and speaking
motivate the learners to read, and learn from their reading
have goals that set out how much reading should be done and by when
have a reading library from which learners can select their own texts
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have systems in place for cataloging, labeling, checking out, recording and returning the
reading materials
have a variety of materials to read, not only graded readers and other simplified materials
show teachers, parents and the administration that you take ER seriously
have targets of both learner and program attainment that clearly show the success of the
program
be bigger and more resilient than one teacher and have sufficient support so that it will
continue indefinitely
Other considerations
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“think big, act small” (Hill, 1997)
the program should have vision
it should have the will to survive potential threats to its existence:o increases in lost or mislaid materials,
o insufficient resources to maintain a library,
o teaching and financial resources being moved to other projects,
o a general lessening in enthusiasm after the highs of the ‘big start’
Therefore, the program should
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be well planned
should have built-in flexibility
be adaptable for future changes.
find ways that the program will fit within the school’s curriculum
have balance
ensure that everyone is involved
Choosing books
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The aim of Extensive Reading is to build reading speed and fluency and to mirror real life
reading
The books should be EASY so they can read fluently. ‘Easy’ means they can read a)
without a dictionary, b) at a good reading speed and c) understand almost everything
Read quickly and
Enjoyably with
Adequate comprehension so they
Don’t need a dictionary
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Choose a wide range to match the interests of your class. Fiction and non-fiction, Funny
and amusing texts are great.
Spend only 80% of your budget so you can adjust the library after student have used it
for a while
Be careful buying books which are too young, or too difficult – they won’t read them, or if
they do, they’ll soon get discouraged
For MOST Korean students native books are too difficult. BE CAREFUL.
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3. SETTING UP
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You will need funding (and follow-up funding)
Eventually you will need 3-4 books per learner but 1-2 is ok as a start
Encourage learners to help build the ER stock
Use the school library to keep the books
Book management systems should be simple and transparent
Make a grading scheme so that materials can be graded by difficulty (and age
appropriacy)
Use a 6 to 8 level scheme (colours) going from the easiest materials to the more difficult.
Each book can then be numbered and coded by its level and book number (e.g. G4070
G = Green level, 4 = biographies, and 070 is the book number).
There is probably no need to put them in author or book number order.
Organize the book borrowing record system.
Example book borrowing sheets
Name
April 1
April 8
April 15
Lee Yoon-Hee
G5345
G2453
G3232
Bert Nuefelt
Y1785
Y2121
Y2778
Shu Wei
P2352
P2099
G6435
April 22
Carlos Sanchez
543
547
444
Figure 1. A simple checkout sheet for a single class.
Name
Kim Hyonjung
Number … 032012
Book
number
Title
Alice in Wonderland G5345
Date
borrowed
Date
returned
April 13
April 16
The green eye
Y1785
April 16
Figure 2. A checkout sheet for a single learner.
Funding
 School, district or prefecture budget
 Students donate books after buying them
 Parents can be asked for donations
 Ask publishers for sample copies
 Readathons and fund raising events at the school festival
 Spend only 80% of your budget so you can adjust the library after some time
 Make sure the library gets funds every year / semester. Some books will get lost /
damaged
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4. INTRODUCING AN ER PROGRAM
In class procedure
1. (If the kids are old enough) Explain to the students the need for ER (Not doing this well is
the leading cause of failure of ER programs).
2. Let them look at some graded readers.
3. They choose one that are interested in and find their comfortable reading level.
 98% of the language is known
 high levels of comprehension
 60-80 words per minute
Too difficult --> go down a level. Too easy? --> go up a level. They should not need a
dictionary.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Check out the book.
Read silently. Teacher monitors their reading.
They can take it home to finish it.
Write a short report on the book (10 minutes at most).
In the next class and tell their friends about a) the story b) what they thought of it.
They return the book to a ‘drop box’. Students help to check the books off the sheet. Then
the books are returned to the library / stock.
10. They choose another book. The cycle continues.
Students can be graded on ….
 the number of books read
 the quality of the reports
 their improvement in reading ability.
The learners also need to know:
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the goals of the ER program;
when they have to return books;
how much they need to read either by number of books or page targets (a book a week
at their level)
how many books they can borrow;
how their reading will be evaluated (if at all);
when they have access to the library;
whether they have to do follow up exercises or write reports etc.;
Finally, you will need to know how to assess the learners and their reading and find ways to
determine how the program is meeting its goals.
Get Students involved – they need to feel connected to the library
 students choose the books, amount of reading
 they manage the book borrowing systems
 they design book displays, make posters (or use those from publishers), keep progress
charts
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make class presentations about the books they have read
Rating materials
 Students’ reports should write a score for the book on book reports / book management
sheets
 put  in the inside of the book cover
 they talk about their books and include a recommendation
 students vote for the best books
 send back books they don’t like
More Information
www.extensivereading.net
www.robwaring/org/er
101 ideas for ER
http://www.robwaring.org/er/what_and_why/101_ideas.htm
Lists of Books you can buy
http://www.robwaring.org/er/Graded_readers/graded_reader_publishers.htm
The Korean English Extensive reading Association (KEERA) http://www.keera.or.kr/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ExtensiveReading/ Join the discussions, ask questions
Examples of ER programs
http://www.robwaring.org/er/ER_programs/index.htm
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