Professional Development Programme 2015-2016:
“Using Information Texts in the Primary English Classroom: Developing KS2 Students’ Reading and Writing Skills”
Facilitators
Organized by the INSTEP, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong and commissioned by the Education Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Overview of the Programme
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Sessions 1 and 2 will focus on the following core components:
Introduction to the variety of information text genres
The use of info texts in language classrooms
Selection of information texts, recommendation of sources of texts, and multimodal resources, e.g. Readers for young learners with
authentic information texts such as posters
Incorporation of information texts in the General English curriculum
Connecting primary students’ learning experiences, within and outside English lessons
Some mentioning of reading across the curriculum—emphasis on content-based instruction (CBI) and identifying common
communicative functions and language patterns in addition to text types
Designing language tasks based on information texts
Preparation for KS2 students for learning through EMI in KS3
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
Task 1
How do you teach reading/writing in your classroom?
What is your belief on reading/writing & teaching reading/writing?
How do you teach reading/writing? What have you tried before?
What are some interesting things that you’ve noticed from your experience?
What kinds of challenges / problems have you identified?
Understanding the context, curriculum and reading / writing skills
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
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Task 2
What are students learning (e.g.
reading and writing) in KS2 and KS3?
In groups, can you list out the subjects that your students
are learning in KS2 (primary 4-6) and the subjects that
they will be learning in KS3 (secondary 1-3)?
Discussion
Are there any similarities or differences among these texts?
What kind of skills or strategies do students need in order to read/write these texts?
Are there any missing links between primary and junior secondary years?
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Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015Reading/Writing skills for Hong Kong
students
What is a genre-based approach to reading and writing?
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In very simple terms, this approach emphasizes genres (i.e.
“text-types”) and the importance of “detailed reading”, which consists of explicit instruction on reading strategies to deconstruct a text, with teachers’ explicit demonstration, scaffolding and explanation of how to decode and infer
meanings from texts.
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
How to apply the genre-based approach in English and Reading/Writing across the Curriculum?
“I’m just an ENGLISH teacher, I don’t know much about
information text types…”
“I know nothing about Science / Maths. /
History etc, etc…”
“My students are not in an EMI
class…”
How to apply the genre-based approach in English and Reading/Writing across the Curriculum?
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We can start small, and with something that we are familiar with (or maybe are doing very well already!).
Can you guess?
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
Adopted from CDC English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) 2004, p. 98.
How to apply the genre-based approach in English and Reading/Writing across the Curriculum?
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• To promote English reading/writing in English and across
different KLAs, information texts are very good resources for the English classroom.
• You can make good use of this opportunity and become more
aware of the importance of teaching information texts with an
explicit emphasis on understanding the features of academic
genres (or text types) and detailed reading strategies.
How can we find topics to enhance our English lessons to promote
reading/writing in English and across the curriculum?
Look at the following list of suggested themes. Can you think of some possible topics of information texts to
promote reading/writing in your school?
(or maybe some interesting topics that you come across
in the readers you are teaching?)
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Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015• Everyday English is different from academic English
– E.g., Everyday text-types are different from academic text- types
Reading for everyday life and reading for school
subjects: different kinds, different purposes, different
ways
Some common text-types in language and content subjects
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Text types commonly found
in language subjects Text types commonly found in content subjects
• Poem
• Story
• News article
• Essay
• Recipe
• Argumentative essay
• Letter to the editor
• Advertisement
• Proposal
• Information report
• Laboratory report
• Essay
• Historical recount
• Manuals
• Explanations on sequence and process
• Explanations on cause and effect
• Discussion
• Argumentative essay
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
Selecting appropriate reading
materials
How can we select appropriate reading materials for our students?
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In groups, discuss and determine what issues have to be considered when we look for appropriate reading
materials for our students.
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
Some possible issues that you might want to consider
Genre egg!
Content: Topic / subject content areas
Language
text types
“academic functions”
Grammar / sentence patterns
Words / lexical phrases
Linking to different KLAs in the school-based curriculum
Horizontal curriculum
Vertical curriculum / spiral learning
Students’ interest
Possible linkage to secondary education
Designing tasks and activities
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Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015Any other possible activities?
From reading to writing
Visual scaffolds
Language scaffolds (e.g., interactive read-aloud/think- aloud)
Speaking & listening activities
Application & presentations
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An important message
Learning and teaching is a dynamic, organic process.
There is no “quick-fix”, or any SINGLE best way.
However, there are a few principles that we can apply
when we select appropriate reading materials to illustrate
how tasks and activities can be designed:
A few principles for you to consider…
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That the reading materials are available to local schools (e.g. texts from local textbooks and readers, or materials from the Internet)
That the themes / topics of the reading materials can be linked to the local KS2 English curriculum, and/or local KS3 curriculum.
That the reading materials can be easily adapted, and appropriate tasks and activities can be designed
accordingly.
No one knows your students and your school better than you!
Materials developed by Prof. Angel Lin and Dr. Tracy Cheung, with contributions from HKU facilitators. (C) 2015
