What Exactly is Extensive
Reading?
Rob Waring
ER Foundation World Congress
Dubai, Sept 20, 2015
www.robwaring.org/presentations
Potted History of Extensive Reading
There’s always been graded reading
Basal L2 reading started in started with the vocabulary movement in
the 1920’s
Limited vocabulary – Ogden, West, Hornby, Palmer
West’s Supplemental Readers, New Method Readers (1932) and New
Method Dictionary (1935) really kick-started graded reading
4 principles behind his work
– Only use previously met words (i)
– Extra practice in reading
– Stretches the vocabulary to allow readers to see new meanings (receptive
generative use)
– Enables them to build a foundation for further reading
Supplemental readers highlighted new words in bold with deliberate
recycling
Potted History of Extensive Reading II
1970’s John Milne suggested vocabulary control was not enough.
- Good clear writing
- Relevant content
- Careful explanation
- High redundancy
- Good control over information
- Intuitive grading and structure control
This led to the modern Graded Reader
ER/EL in two spheres
• The pedagogy of ER/EL
speed
materials
levels
assessment
design of libraries
book record systems
pre- while- post- activities
volume read (listened to)
material selection
choice
silent vs aloud
read only, listen only, read-while-listen
motivation
role of teacher
etc. etc.
• ER/EL research
– Academic papers
– ?? Reports of programs – sharing action research
– ?? Program comparisons
Why is it important to define ER/EL?
• So we all know what we are talking about
• So we can compare results between studies, programs
• To be clear what type of reading we are doing
Program A (‘just read’)
Program B (‘guided ER’)
Self-selected
400,000 words per semester
No assessment
Variety of materials
No/little follow up
Self-governed
Fluency reading only
Teacher advised
A few books a semester
Mreader quizzes
Narrow ER
Follow-up activities
Careful monitoring
Some phonics, shadowing,
reading aloud
Defining ER
• Most definitions include the following words
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Read
Books
Easy
Fast
Fluent
A lot
Enjoyable
Own level (comprehensible)
Defining ER – not straightforward
• But it’s not straightforward
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–
–
–
–
–
Easy – what is easy? Who decides
Fast – is there a minimum speed?
Fluent – what is fluent?
A lot – what minimum?
Enjoyable – only enjoyable?
Own level (comprehensible) – what about i+1, i+2?
We need to be careful
• If the definition is too loose
– We can’t share results meaningfully
• If the definition is too strict
– We may disenfranchise or alienate some people
Day and Bamford's 10 principles of ER
“necessary for success” (1998, 2002)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The reading material is easy
A variety of reading material on a wide range of topics
Learners choose what they want to read
Learners read as much as possible
The purpose of reading is usually related to pleasure,
information and general understanding
6. Reading is its own reward
7. Reading speed is usually faster rather than slower
8. Reading is individual and silent
9. Teachers orient and guide their students
10. The teacher is a role model of a reader
Day and Bamford's 10 principles of ER
“necessary for success” (1998, 2002)
• Important to note they did NOT suggest this as THE way to do
ER/EL
• It is a list of suggestions
The present influence of the Top Ten on ER
• Often cited to define ER (e.g. Asraf & Ahmad, 2003; Burrows,
2013; Hitosugi & Day, 2004; Soliman, 2012; Yamashita, 2008).
• Default definition of ER despite these principles only being a
“description of the characteristics that are found in successful
extensive reading programs” (Day and Bamford 1998: 7).
• “we purposely avoided using ‘extensive reading’ terminology
to describe our participants’ reading behavior. This was
because we did not investigate whether the participants
followed any of the top ten principles for ER provided by Day
and Bamford (1998, 2002); rather, we only looked at their
pleasure reading habits” (Ro and Chen 2014; 16).
Day and Bamford's 10 principles of ER
“necessary for success” (1998, 2002)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The reading material is easy
A variety of reading material on a wide range of topics
Learners choose what they want to read
Learners read as much as possible
The purpose of reading is usually related to pleasure,
information and general understanding
6. Reading is its own reward
7. Reading speed is usually faster rather than slower
8. Reading is individual and silent
9. Teachers orient and guide their students
10. The teacher is a role model of a reader
Principles 1, 2, 4
The reading material is easy
A variety of reading material on a wide range
of topics
Learners read as much as possible
• Largely uncontestable
• Includes materials other than books
• But some programs are limited in what they can achieve,
budgets, resources
Principle 3: Learners choose what they want to
read
• Largely, ok
• But they often need guidance, recommendations (implies
teachers should know their own libraries)
• Too much choice can bewilder
Principle 5: The purpose of reading is usually
related to pleasure, information and general
understanding
• Ideally yes, but often we have to read things we don’t want
to, or don’t like to
• Does this prepare them for tests, future needs?
• What if the library has nothing they like at their level?
• What if a student only reads say crime novels? - missing out
on meeting general vocabulary
• What if pleasure = easy to a student and they only stay at
level 1
• What if pleasure = reading only one series
• What if pleasure = i+5?
• What if pleasure = grammar books, word cards?
Principle 6: Reading is its own reward
• This suggests reading could be optional (i.e. the message is - if
you don’t like it you can stop)
• This suggests students will very soon find their homerun book
• Some students hate reading and will probably always do so
• It assumes any form of reading can be pleasurable
• It suggests assessment is unnecessary. But…
– Some schools need to collect data, scores, validate reading
– Many want to be assessed in order to confirm their understanding
– We may need to collect data for action research
Principle 7: Reading speed is usually faster
rather than slower
• Makes sense – reading faster leads to higher comprehension
• But some readers prefer to read slowly so they catch all the
details – e.g. academic writing, data reports, legal documents
• In Reading Circles students may be asked to read a text more
intensively e.g. to collect words, cultural information etc.
Principle 8: Reading is individual and silent
•
•
•
•
•
Denies the sharing of what we read
Assumes all that a student needs is in their own heads
Focuses students inwards not outwards
Buddy reading?
Reading-while-listening leads to more vocab gains than
reading only
• Reading-while-listening assists listening practice
• Solo reading can be seen as a definition of loneliness
• Denies the oral tradition of reading aloud to others especially
younger students
Principle 9: Teachers orient and guide their
students
• Makes sense
• Assumes teachers know a lot about their students, their
preferences etc.
• Assumes teachers know a lot about their libraries
Principle 10: The teacher is a role model of a
reader
• Is reading in front of students a good use of time?
– Maybe seen as lazy, uncaring, unprofessional, an ‘easy’ teacher
– Better to spend silent reading time monitoring and assisting?
• Not all teachers are literature fanatics. Lovers
• Better to discuss your reading with students, tell them about
your favorite books, articles
• Leave your books on a desk for them to see
What about …..?
Assessment and evaluation
Buddy / collaborative reading
Reading while listening
Follow-up exercises
Reading speed focus
Limited time
Limited resources
Lowly motivated learners
Necessity to read things you
don't want to
The teacher doesn't read much
Asian values and norms
Teacher selected materials
Desire to read something
difficult
Desire to have one's
performance monitored
Desire to share their reading
Extensive listening
Reading Circles?
A uni-dimensional 'necessity for
success' view of ER
From Day and Bamford's viewpoint to be doing ER, students
must:
… choose their own texts
… read for pleasure not as part of a course
… read without assessment
… experience ER as a solo activity
What actually is Extensive Reading?
Read at i+1 (or i- 1) ?
Reading short texts to discuss?
Read only for pleasure?
Start with simple stories?
Reading followed by comprehension questions?
Speed reading?
Pleasure reading only?
Reading L1 materials?
?????
What’s missing from the top ten?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pre- while- and post- work
Clear definitions of what each principle means
Listening?
Student desires and preferences
Speed reading development
Etc.
Etc.
Summary about the 10 principles
• They seem to suggest a single ‘way’
• Not very inclusive, in fact rather restrictive
• Can lead teachers to feel they are not doing ER/EL the ‘right
way’ and a sense of guilt
• We have to be careful about deciding things for students. We
shouldn’t force our philosophies on students who thing
differently
• They imply certain elements are in opposition
Assessment
Student selects
No assessment
Others select
When reading extensively, students should READ
A central aspect of any ER program
Students should
Read something quickly and
Enjoyably with
Adequate comprehension so they
Don’t need a dictionary
Aspects of a definition of ER
The definition should consider
a) the process of reading at the right level
ER is a way of processing texts and isn’t just the reading of
graded readers – magazines, emails, webpages all are part
of ER if they are READ. i.e. build fluency
b) the pedagogy of ER – the selection of materials, follow-up
activities, library management, assessment etc.
A distinction
• ER process
– The way people read
– What cognitive processes need to be in place to be reading
extensively?
• ER Pedagogy
– What activities do we do to do ER?
The core - Rauding (1992, 1995)
• We can conceive of the IR/ER on a continuum of attentional
resources on the language from high focus on the language to
rauding
• Rauding represents the optimal reading rate for
comprehension, and one at which there is lexical access,
semantic encoding, and sentential integration
• It is a cognitive process independent of the amount read
• It is developed through massive practice
Core cognitive and variable pedagogical aspects of
ER/EL
a) ER is a way of processing texts at an appropriate level
– Magazines
– Emails
– Webpages
b) The cognitive processing of reading or Rauding, through which
cognitive reading processes are automatized
c) The viable pedagogical aspects of ER –
–
–
–
The selection of materials
Follow-up activities
Assessment
–
Etc.
ER variables
Assessment and evaluation
Buddy / collaborative reading
Reading while listening
Follow-up exercises
Reading speed focus
Limited time
Limited resources
Lowly motivated learners
Necessity to read things you
don't want to
The teacher doesn't read much
Asian values and norms
Teacher selected materials
Desire to read something
difficult (as in Beglar and
Hunt, 2014).
Desire to have one's
performance monitored
Desire to share their reading
Extensive listening
Reading Circles?
'Big Tent ' ER
We need to accept that many students are not brought up to be
responsible for their learning
Encouragement to self-directed learning are often ignored in
favour of clubs, social life, part-time jobs or pleasure time
(Robb, 2002)
Students often won’t start with a home-run book, therefore we
have to require reading so they can find it
Finding an hour of pleasure reading is hard for many students
Motivating disinterested students can be close to impossible
Massive choice can overwhelm
Class reading is a valid form of ER
ER is more than just graded readers
ER Program types
Purist ER program
Lots of self-selected reading at home with no / little assessment or
follow up. Often is a stand-alone class.
Integrated ER program
Lots of self-selected reading at home and in class. Follow up
exercises / reports which aim to build the 4 skills.
Class reading - study
Students read the same book and work through it slowly. Lots of
follow up / comprehension work and exercises.
ER as 'literature'
Students read the same book and discuss it as if it were a work of
literature.
Easy ER – start with simple stories
ER program types - summary
Many different types of ER program
Different aims
Different levels of involvement for teachers / students
Some programs may adopt two or more types at the same time
Some programs can start more easily than others
Each type is scalable – from a single class to a whole school
No 'best' type for all situations
ER types
Classical
(Top ten)
ER
Integrated
ER – part of
a 4 skills
course
Class
Reading
ER as literature Easy ER – to
build
fluency
Style
Individual
Individual
Lock-step
Lock-step
Individual
Amount
Lots
Lots
Little
Little
Lots
Speed
Fast
Fast
Slow
Slow
Fast
Control
Student
Student
Teacher
Teacher
Student
Language
focus
No
No
Yes
No
No
Assessment
Little
Little
Lots
Lots
Viable
Materials
Library
Library
Class sets
Class sets
Library
Skill work
Reading
3-4 skills
3-4 skills / 1-3 skills
language
Reading
Class time
needed
Little
Little
Lots
Little
Lots
Core elements of an ER program
(to retain the label ‘ER’)
• Fluent, sustained comprehension of text as meaningfocused input
• Large volume of material
• Reading over extended periods of time
• Texts are longer, requiring comprehension at the
discourse level
Variable pedagogical dimensions of an ER program
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ER is conducted in class or at home, or a combination thereof
ER is required, or optional
The reading is enjoyable, for pleasure, or not
The reading is monitored (self declared, by the teacher), or not
The reading is assessed, or not
The presence or absence of follow-up activities (comprehension
or language focus)
The teacher reads or doesn’t read with students in the
classroom
Graded or non-graded materials (provided they can be
comprehended fluently)
Longer or shorter texts
The degree of freedom to select texts
Requiring students to start with the simplest material available
Treading carefully
• But we have to be careful about dictating what should be in a
program in order to earn the label ER
• Some programs are limited in what they can achieve
• We shouldn’t specify speeds, volumes, assessment practices
• A big tent is fine
BUT
• We must be clear about ensuring any ER program has
students READing
• We must be careful when comparing our program with others
so we know we are comparing like with like (or not)
Extensive vs. Graded Reading
Extensive = read a lot
Graded = written to a level (grade)
L2 conflates these two as interchangeable
Historically L1 “Extensive” = to be well read, educated
i.e. read a wide range of subjects
Graded vs Extensive reading
Graded Reading
Extensive Reading
Material at one's level
Yes
Yes
Comprehensible
Yes
Yes
Read a lot
Yes
Yes
Read quickly
Yes
Yes
Preferable
Preferable
Easy
Yes
Yes
Simplified materials
Yes
Not essential if
high level
Enjoyable
Conclusion
• ER is multi-faceted
• For pedagogy we can have a big tent (any combination of any of the
variables) provided the students are doing lots of fluent READing
• For research we need to be MUCH more careful, rigorous
– To allow us to compare studies, environments