Enhancing Students’ Reading Performance
through the Use of Effective Teaching Strategies
English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
January 2015
Objectives
• To review the five teaching strategies for reading
• To promote reading across the curriculum in the Reading Workshops for KS2 students
• To share and discuss stimulating resources and
effective learning activities to develop KS2 students’
reading skills
• To provide hands-on activities for the participants to design and plan appropriate reading activities
2
Workshop Overview
Part 1
• Understanding students’ literacy skills development
• Planning a school-based reading programme
• Making use of the five teaching strategies for reading
Break
Part 2
• Selecting stimulating reading resources and designing appropriate reading activities
• Hands-on practice
3
Let’s mingle with one another …
4
What do you think about teaching
reading at the primary level?
How do you usually teach
reading?
What kind of resources do you
use for teaching
reading?
5
Understanding
Students’ Literacy Skills
Development
Literacy and Schooling
6
… literacy is dependent upon schooling. Indeed, in many societies schooling and literacy have been almost
synonymous… (David Olson, 2013)
Some beliefs about reading
• Reading is NOT a passive language skill.
• Reading is an interactive process in which the reader constructs meaning from texts.
• Background knowledge and prior experience is critical to the reading process.
• Students acquire effective reading skills in the context of real reading.
• Students need support, encouragement and praise during the reading process.
• Reading provides a source of satisfaction and pleasure.
• Reading is a means to seek information, develop and apply knowledge.
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Learning to Read
Reading to Learn
Reading Strategies
8
English Language Curriculum Guide (P1-6) (CDC, 2004), p.A28
The Reading Process
9
L.I.F.T Literacy Instruction For Teachers (English Language Education Section, CDI , EDB 2007), p.8
10
Construct meaning from texts Locate
information
and ideas Understand the basic conventions
of written English
English Language Curriculum Guide (P1-6) (CDC, 2004), pp.55-57
Key Reading Skills
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Planning a School-based
Reading Programme
Components of a School-based English Language Curriculum
12
English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6) (CDC, 2004)
40%
60%
Laying a good foundation for lifelong learning
• Developing in students positive attitudes towards learning English
• Providing opportunities for students to take an active role in learning
• Helping students develop and practise reading skills through reading ‘real books’
• Using real books of a variety of text types
• Taking up about 40% of the English lesson time
• Closely linked to the learning and teaching that takes place in the General English Programme
• Adopting effective teaching strategies
• Reading as a springboard for the development of higher order thinking skills, creativity and other language skills
• Providing coherent and connected learning experiences for the students
Reading Workshops
13
Our observation and concerns
Primary students’ interest in reading increased
Successful implementation of KS1 reading programmes
Development of basic reading skills at KS1
Adopting KS1 reading programmes with little thoughts to students’ reading skills development
Reading skills development in KS1 not well sustained in KS2
Uncertainty about how to maximise existing reading resources
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Students’
Reading Skills
Development
Considerations in Planning
School-based Reading Workshops (1)
15
KS1 KS2
Understand the basic conventions of written English
sight read common, phonically irregular words, e.g.
are, a, you
recognise beginning and end of sentences
use phonological strategies to decode words, e.g.
identifying the onsets and rimes
…
sight read a wide range of common, phonically irregular words, e.g. have, said, was
use knowledge of basic letter-sound relationship to read aloud a variety of simple texts
Construct meaning from texts
guess the meaning of unfamiliar words by using contextual or pictorial clues
understand the information provided on the book cover
recognise the format & language features of common text types, e.g. signs, stories
make predictions about stories, characters, topics of interest
…
use known parts of words or word association to work out the meaning of unknown parts, e.g.
happy/unhappy
recognise recurrent patterns in language structure, e.g. word order
recognise the format & language features of a variety of text types, e.g. journals, letters, menus, reports
…
Locate information and ideas
scan a text to locate specific information by using strategies, e.g. looking at repeated words, italics
…
identify details that support the gist or main ideas
…
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Depth of Processing
Range and application of reading strategies
Understanding
- Locating information
- Working out meaning of words
and phrases- Connecting ideas
- Identifying main ideas and
supporting details- Distinguishing facts from opinions - Organising information and ideas
Inferring
- Inferring feelings - Deducing information
and ideas
- Comparing information
and ideas- Working out main ideas
and themesInterpreting
- Analysing information and
ideas- Synthesising - Evaluating - Justifying
Cognitive processes involved in readingUnderlying principles
Activating prior knowledge and experiences in processing a wide range of texts for different reading purposes
Progressive Development of Reading Skills
Text complexity
Abstractness
Organisation Density of information
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Students’
Reading Skills
Development
Considerations in Planning
School-based Reading Workshops (2)
18
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Making Use of the
Five Teaching Strategies
for Reading
Five Teaching Strategies for Reading (1)
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English Language Curriculum Guide (P1-6) (CDC, 2004), p.A29
Activity 1 – How much do you know about the five teaching strategies for reading?
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• Work in groups of 5-6.
• Read the information about the teaching strategy.
• Discuss if the texts are appropriate for the use of the teaching strategy.
• Share with others.
Five Teaching Strategies for Reading (2)
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These strategies need not be developed one at a time or in a strict sequence at different stages of learning. With each teaching strategies, students should be involved in reading different text types for a variety of purposes.
Teacher should plan for:
reading to their pupils (Reading Aloud and Storytelling)
reading with their pupils (Shared Reading and Supported Reading)
reading by their pupils (Independent Reading)
Literacy Instruction for Teachers (LIFT)
http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-edu/references-resources.html
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Deciding on the Teaching Strategies for Reading
Supports? Challenges?
• If there are many challenges and few supports, the text is probably best for storytelling or reading aloud.
• If there are more challenges than supports, the text is probably more suitable for use as a shared reading text.
• If there is a good balance of supports and challenges, the text is probably a good choice for a supported reading text.
• If there are many supports and a few challenges, the text is
probably suitable as a text for independent reading.
Students’
Reading Skills Development
Considerations in Planning
School-based Reading Workshops (3)
24
25
Selecting stimulating
reading resources
General Principles in Selecting Reading Materials
Varying text complexity, from simple to complex
Content relevant to students’
needs and interests Appealing layouts and
illustrations
Linkage between texts
Variety of text types
Nurturing positive values and attitudes (life-long learning and whole-person
development)
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Categories of Text Types
Examples of Text Types for Key Stage 1
Additional Examples of Text Types for Key Stage 2
Narrative Texts • Cartoons and comics
• Diaries
• Fables and fairy tales
• Poems
• Stories
• Autobiographies
• Biographies
• Myths
• Plays
• Tongue twisters Information
Texts
• Labels
• Menus
• Notices
• Picture dictionaries
• Rules
• Signs
• Time-tables
• Announcements
• Children’s encyclopedias
• Dictionaries
• Directories
• Maps and legends
• News reports
• Pamphlets Exchanges • Cards
• Conversations
• Personal letters
• Emails
• Formal letters
• Telephone conversations Procedural
Texts
• Directions
• Instructions
• Procedures
• Recipes Explanatory
Texts
• Captions
• Illustrations
• Explanations of how and why
Persuasive Texts
• Advertisements
• Posters
• Brochures
• Discussions
• Expositions
English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004), p.17
Selecting Reading Materials -
A variety of text types
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Students’ personal experiences
Selecting Reading Materials -
Contents relevant to students’ needs and interests
Reading texts
28
Tying in with movies with the same titles or characters
Using fairy tales with a twist
Using books with linked themes
Connecting reading texts with students’
personal experiences
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School-based Major Concerns:
Creating a caring school campus
Nurturing responsible, considerate and polite students, family members and citizens
Curriculum planning in different KLAs/subjects
English Language
Nurturing positive values and
attitudes through reading andidentifying values, attitudes and beliefs expressed in the text
Selecting Reading Materials -
Nurturing positive values and attitudes
Life-long Learning and Whole-person Development
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Major Concern of the School
Creating a caring school campus
Nurturing responsible, considerate and polite students, family members and citizens
Nurturing positive values and attitudes through reading and identifying values and attitudes expressed in the text
Modules:
KS1 Me and my friends KS2 Relationships
English Language
Reading Workshops
KS1 Storytelling
KS2 Supported
Reading
General English
Units:
KS1 Me and my friend KS2 Successful people
Example::
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Interactive Books
Narrations, pictures and/or animations provided
Basic interactions which allow students to touch screen and have more control in the reading process
Examples:
PEER
http://peer.edb.hkedcity.net/
Free apps for tablets
Non-print paired books of related themes
Choice of Reading Materials – Non-print
Audio Books
Reading text/script provided
Audio file with narrations and simple sound effects
Examples:
Naxo Spoken Word Library
http://www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/e-resources/e-books/disclaimer/7578/naxos-spoken-word-
