Reading ideas from lots of different teachers
Here's my new favorite assessment to give after we finish reading a
chapter. I pick five important sentences from the chapter and tweak
them a bit. The kids have to translate them into English without
using the book. It's easy to create and grade, and it aligns with how
we read the book. It also gives me a really good picture of how my
students are progressing.
Here's a fun output idea for your creative high achievers who are able
to speak more. It's called hot seat. You put your star student in
the front of the room to act as, let's Pobre Ana. The other students
have to ask her questions, which would be a great way to practice 'yo'
and 'tú' forms. They might ask:
¿Por qué
¿Por qué
money?)
¿Por qué
¿Por qué
class?)
etc.
te grita tu mamá? (Why does your mom yell at you?)
no te da dinero tu papá? (Why doesn't your dad give you
se ríe Don de ti? (Why does Don laugh at you?)
te gusta la clase de español? (Why do you like Spanish
Anyway, it's fun but you do have to have a very creative verbal person
sitting in the hot seat. You (the teacher) should probably model it
the first time through. Now that I'm thinking about it, the kids
could have a list of questions to ask you (reading input) and the
teacher could answer (listening input). You can also 'circle' their
ideas to get more reps.
---------------------------------------------------I gave the kids every single line of the song in a piece of paper. We
listened to the song for a few times. They were working in groups of
two. I told them to order the words according to the song. After 30
minutes they were still engaged and I was monitoring and helping.
This was a Spanish 4-5 group. The song was "Esta tierra es mia" (This
land is your land, in
Spanish)
I also tried with a book. I cut off some paragraphs from the book, as
many as you need. It was a new episode. They work in groups of two.
They have to order the paragraphs according to the CD (that I
prepared with my own voice) that it is playing. You can also tell them
to paste them on a piece of paper. You can also erase some basic
words and tell them to fill in the blanks after they have order the
paragraphs. They are practicing listening, reading and collaborative
work.
--------------------------------------------------------I’ve been using a technique this year that I call “Read, Write, Discuss”.
It’s a variation on a technique that I learned in a reading course I took
this winter. You can do it as a whole class: Students read silently and
then they write a summary in English of what they read. I also ask
them to write down any important details. Then they discuss what
they wrote with their partner and can change or add to their notes.
Then as a whole class, I ask students for their summaries and we write
them on the board or overhead. I also ask some questions in Spanish
at this point. I have students use name tents when we are doing this.
A name tent is a folded index card. On one side is the student’s name
and other the other side is the word ready in Spanish. After they have
read and written then they turn their name tent to ready so I can
easily see who is done.
I can also use this technique in pairs. They decide in pairs if they want
to read paragraphs or pages. Then at their own pace they read the
section, write, and then discuss. At times I give them questions to
answer after they have read the chapter or we discuss as a class in
Spanish.
-------------------------------------------------------------------Developing parallel stories is another technique that I think
administrators would like to see. The day before have your students
read a chapter. Start class by asking some straight-forward
comprehension questions. Then start asking questions that use one of
your students as the main character and develop a similar story. Go
back and forth comparing and contrasting the book you are reading
with the new story you are developing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------Illustrations: For homework, have students illustrate the chapter they
have read. The next day, students can use their illustration to
summarize the chapter in Spanish. Or they could illustrate a parallel
story. In groups of three or four, one student could present a
summary of his parallel story and other students could ask questions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I also do an assignment called Read-to-Write. Students read a chapter
and answer some simple comprehension questions. Then they have to
think of a parallel story and answer the same questions. Then
students write their parallel story. Sometimes, I have them illustrate
their stories and then they have to tell me the story only using their
illustrations.
Here’s an example using Chapter 3 of Pobre Ana. I’m using English so
everyone can understand but would normally put the questions in
Spanish.
How is Mexico different according to the teacher?
Describe Ana’s trip to Mexico.
What happens when she arrives in Nayarit?
How does she get to her Mexican family’s home?
What is the family and home like?
Describe the conversation Ana has with Susana and Juana.
Now have students think of a parallel story. You can even have each
student
be the main character and it could be a different country or an
imaginary
place.
How is _____________ different from where you live?
Describe your main character’s trip to _______________.
What happens when your main character arrives in
__________________?
How does your main character get to her new family’s home?
What is the family and home like?
Describe the conversation between the main character and the
members of the
family.
This is a brain-storming step. Now students are ready to write their
chapter. This can be done as a whole class activity or in groups or
pairs.
----------------------------------------------------------------After the story, I will ask students to find a partner. They will put
a pencil between them on the table or desk. I will make T/F
statements
about the story. If the statement is true, the student should grab the
pencil. Whoever grabs it first, gets a point. If the statement is
false, the students shouldn't do anything. If, however, a student
grabs the pencil and the statement is false, s/he loses a point.
---------------------------------------------------------------A retell keeps the kids accountable. The kids have to listen to the
story, or they can't retell it. Sometimes I'll have them throw a ball
around. The person with the ball must add a line to the retell.
---------------------------------------------------------------Give bonus or homework points every time someone offers a story
detail that you put into the story.
Every time students volunteer a story detail, whether you use it or
not, give them a piece of paper. S/he writes his/her name on it. At
the end of the story, ask students to count up their papers. The
student with the most gets some bonus points or an extra bathroom
pass or whatever is most coveted.
---------------------------------------------------------------Write up a story with the "daily 3" BEFORE you create a story in
class. At the end of the story, have students read that story. Ask
them to find 3 similarities and 3 differences between the story they
read and the one they created in class. They can't complete the task
if they weren't listening to the story in class. I give participation
points to students who each difference or similarity found.
---------------------------------------------------------------I put students into groups of 5. I tell the students to summarize the
story in 5 sentences. Each student will state one line. S/he must
also do an action to aide in comprehension. The group with the best
retell wins a few homework bonus points. I also do this as an openended activity. I give each group 5 notecards. Each card has a verb
on it. The students get to make up an extremely short story. It's
amazing what they can do with just 5 sentences.
-----------------1. Illustrate the story. Illustrate the vocab/structure.
2. Use picture to target language flash cards as often as you use
English to TL flashcards.
3. Have students illustrate.
4. Create activities where students match a sentence with a picture.
5. Find some of those paired pictures for "What is the difference?"
activities. (they are often in magazines!) Write sentences and have
students read and decide which of the very similar pictures the
sentence refers to.
6. Give students a short paragraph and matching illustration. Ask
students to add details to the paragraph and corresponding details to
the pictures.
7. Build in moments where you ask students to close their eyes and
visualize what they hear. Remind them that our goal is to have the
same thing happen when they read.
This is CRUCIAL. Just as I did not realize that some people don't do
this....my son...and others like him...didn't realize that readers DO
this!!!!!! Just realizing that that is a necessary step can turn the
tables for some kids. As with any new skill, frequent reminders and
opportunities to practice/refine will increase the chances for success.
---------------------------------------------------------------"CHUNKING" MATERIAL
One reason that students cannot visualize, or get tired of reading, is
that they read one word at a time. Maybe their brains are used to
working this way. Maybe their early teachers did a lot of "sight word"
work. Who knows? But it is detrimental to reading in L1 and a real
detriment in learning any L2. By the time they get to the 4th or 5th
word they have totally forgotten what came earlier. It's definately
working harder not smarter....but THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER. It
is so helpful for them if we point out (consistently and matter-of-factly
..isthat is really a word ?tee hee) that naturally occurs in chunks and
we should expect it that way.
TPRS is a huge help in that we often strive to focus on phrases rather
than individual words. Other things we can do:
1. Although NYS uses "word count" on it's writing rubrics, in my room
I refer to word phrases or chunks of words rather than sentences or
words. Write a note to me on the back of your quiz telling me what
you are going to do this weekend. Please write at east 5 chunks of
words/information in your note. For example:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
I want to go
to the mall
with my friends
on Saturday
because I need
new shoes.
2. Sentence building/reading.
Create "flash cards" on index cards, sentence strips or pieces of paper
that hold "chunks" of language. Have students create "communication
pieces" by combing and rearranging the cards.
3. When translating as a group, read a chunk of a sentence out loud
and have them give you the English equivalent. They will quickly learn
to model this!!!!!!
4. When a student gets "stuck" reading, ask...What "chunks" of the
sentence do you understand?
5. Give students a "bare-bones" story and a list of language
chunks...say 20 of them. Ask them to rewrite the story adding any 10
of the chunks. (I really like these kinds of "writing" activities because
they have to get input before creating any kind of output!!!!!!!)
---------------------------------------------------------------SIMPLIFY THE PRINT
(TMI!!! as the kids say...Too Much Information!!)
Sometimes the print itself is anxiety-producing. This may be because
the student has a number of negative reading experiences. It may
also be because it is visually confusing to many people....it scrambles
from the page to their brain.
Many students can read successfully when we make a few simple
changes to the reading material.
a) larger font
b) more spacing
Try it with one story. Use a basic 12 point font and single spacing for
the first two paragraphs. Switch to a 16 point font, double spacing
and about 5-10 spaces of white space between paragraphs and see
what happens.
---------------------------------------------------------------Tracking
Many people simply have physically difficulty using their eyes to track
the words. Make it a requirement to read with an UNLINED index card
held VERTICALLY rather than horizontally. An unlined card helps them
to focus. Using the card vertically gives them a smaller chunk of space
to follow at a time. (most word chunks are 2-5 words
long...horizonally a card is 5-8 words long)
When kids who don't need the card complain...tell them to mark the
bottom of a paragraph rather than a sentence at a time. They can use
the card to write down words that they want to remember. (I usually
whisper this to them)
---------------------------------------------------------------CONNECTING THE MIND/HEART
This is what Ben Slavic has addressed. It may very well be THE most
important approach to keep anyone interested in reading. Make it
relevent.
1. As Ben suggested....create stories about the kids. You can write
them yourself, type up the oral stories used in class, change stories
already written to include the names, places and problems familiar to
your students or inject one of your students into an already existing
story.
Some teachers have a real gift for this. If you know one, talk to
them...see how they do it.
Personalization always works. It is also full of potential pitfalls and not
everyone is comfortable doing it. It should come as a natural
extension of your relationship with your students. If you don't feel
that the relationships in your class are ready for it keep it in the back
of your mind until you are comfortable. There are other ways to sneak
it in!
2. A very common way to do this is what I call the "Venn Diagram
Method". You simply compare what is happening in the story to what
really happens in real life. The "practical-minded" kids eat this up.
These are the kids that don't go for the weird or ridiculous in stories.
This is also a good way to challenge thinking....find 8 ways that this
character is like you/not like you (or the town/school is like yours)You
can certainly do this in L1 or L2 and it is a valid activity either way.
*You can also compare two characters in the story
*Characters in two different stories (I like to use characters from the
novels they are reading in English)
*character in the present and in the past (Ana before and after the
trip, Jaime before and after he chokes)
*characters in art/music/history You can compare members in a
family to the family in Las Meninas, love-struck characters to Popo and
Itzi, long distance friendships to Juarez and Lincoln, and one of my
students' favorites...characters with an unrequited love to the
character in Selena's BidiBidiBomBom (sorry my examples are all in
Spanish!!!)
3. Create a parallel story.
This is the Blaine-borrowed tradition of creating a fictional story for
one of your students that parallels (but is much better than) the life of
a character in the story. It is a great TPRS approach because it
combines reading with story creation...AT THE SAME TIME whoo
hooo!!!
4. Inserting Yourself into a Story.
I think that this is a higher level skill that REALLY seals the relationship
between the student and the story. The most common way to do it is
to ask the students....If you were (insert name of character here) what
you would do/think/feel/want etc. (ah yes....look at all that exposure
to the subjunctive tee hee) Another way is to ask students...If you
were the author, what would you add? A third way is to ask....if you
were a passenger on the cruise ship and saw this happen, what would
you do/think/feel etc.?
Really involved (read: addicted) readers do this as a matter of
course....but the many of readers do not. It doesn't occure to them to
do it. That's where we come in!!!!!!
I have found these activities VERY VERY helpful with kids who normally
don't feel successful in reading.
Because as Susie always says....SUCCESS IS THE BEST MOTIVATOR.
My students arrive in my room after 10 years of education. Those who
don't enjoy reading come in after 10 years of negative reading
experiences.
The good news????? Sometimes it only takes ONE successful
experience to begin to turn things around. Really.
The reality of it is that students live IN THE MOMENT. Reading is just
not in their bubble. When we can bring the story and the characters
into their bubble its actually hard to get them out!!!! (hence the
addiction :o) )