ENHANCING STUDENTS’ READING
PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE USE OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES
English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
March 2016
Objectives
To review the effective learning and teaching strategies for reading
To share and discuss print and non-print resources and effective learning activities to develop students’
reading skills
To promote Reading across the Curriculum (RaC) in the reading workshops
To provide hands-on activities for the participants to design and plan appropriate reading activities
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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 print and non-print reading resources and designing appropriate reading activities
• Promoting Reading across the Curriculum
• Hands-on practice
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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?
Do your students enjoy
reading?
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Understanding
Students’ Literacy Skills
Development
Literacy and Schooling
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… literacy is dependent upon schooling. Indeed, in many societies schooling and literacy have been almost
synonymous… (David Olson, 2013)
The Reading Strategies & Process
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L.I.F.T Literacy Instruction For Teachers (English Language Education Section, CDI , EDB 2007), p.8
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Planning a School-based
Reading Programme
Components of a School-based English Language Curriculum
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English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6) (CDC, 2004)
40%
60%
Reading Workshops
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Closely linked to the learning and teaching that takes place in the General English Programme
Adopting effective teaching strategies
Providing coherent and connected learning
experiences for the students
Helping students develop and practise reading skills through
reading real books Using real books of
a variety of text types
Reading as a springboard for the development of higher order thinking skills, creativity
and other language skills
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60%
40%
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Students’
Reading Skills
Development
Considerations in Planning
School-based Reading Workshops (1)
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Key Reading Skills
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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
Progressing in the Development of Reading Skills from KS1 to KS2
KS1
Follow left to right directionality
Use knowledge of basic letter-sound relationships
to read out simple words
Sight read common words
Use knowledge of
letter-sound relationships to read aloud a variety of
simple texts
Sight read a wide range of common words
1. Understand the basic conventions of written English
KS2
KS1
2. Construct meaning from texts
KS2
Guess the meaning of unknown words by using pictorial and contextual clues
Identify key words for the main idea in a sentence
Make predictions
Understand the information on the book cover and contents page
Recognise the features of some common text types
Work out the meaning of unknown words by using word association, visual clues, context & knowledge of the world
Skim a text to obtain the main ideas
Understand intention, attitudes and feelings conveyed in a text Understand the information provided on
the book cover, index and glossary Recognise the features of a
variety of text types
Re-read the text to establish and confirm meaning
Progressing in the Development of Reading Skills from
KS1 to KS2
KS1
3. Locate information and ideas
KS2
Scan a text
by using strategies
such as looking at headings and repeated phrases
Identify details that support
the gist or main ideas Scan a text by looking
at repeated words, words in bold, italics or capital letters
Locate specific information in a short text in
response to questions
Progressing in the Development of Reading Skills
from KS1 to KS2
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 themes
Interpreting
- Analysing information and ideas
- Synthesising - Evaluating - Justifying Cognitive processes involved in reading
Underlying 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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Effective Use of Teaching Strategies
Considerations in Planning
School-based Reading Workshops (2)
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Making Use of the
Five Teaching Strategies
for Reading
Five Teaching Strategies for Reading
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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 3-4.
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
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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.
Flexible Use of Available Resources
Considerations in Planning
School-based Reading Workshops (3)
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Selecting print and non-
print reading resources
General Principles in Selecting Reading Materials
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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Varying text complexity,
from simple to complex
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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Selecting Reading Materials -
Contents relevant to students’ needs and interests
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Students’
personal
experiences Reading texts
Connecting reading texts with students’
personal experiences
Tying in with movies with the same titles or characters, e.g. Harry Potter, Shrek
Using fairy tales with a twist, e.g. The true story of the 3 little pigs
Using books with linked themes ,e.g. study, school life and work
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Lifelong learning
Challenges in the 21st
century
Literacy and Reading across the Curriculum (RaC)
The ability to read and
write effectively Literacy Development in the English
Classroom
Promoting RaC
Communicative Functions for General Purposes
Rhetorical Functions for Academic Purposes
Promoting Literacy across the Curriculum
Equipping Students with New Literacy
Skills
audio
visual
gestural spatial
linguistic
Processing & creating multimodal texts
Some Available e-Resources for Learning and Teaching of Reading
30 • Educational websites e.g.
The Primary English E-learning Resources (PEER) Website (http://peer.edb.hkedcity.net/)
• E-books (including Interactive Books and Audio Books with/without animation)
e.g.
Hong Kong Public Libraries resources: Naxo’s Spoken Word Library (http://www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/e-resources/e-
books/disclaimer/7578/naxos-spoken-word-library )
• Apps with reading materials, interactive games/activities
• On-line reading platforms
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Modules No. Texts
Changes 1. Superhero High 2. My Favourite Clothes 3. My Secret Team 4. The Animal Shelter
Food and Drink 1. The Greedy Hippo
Happy Days 1. The Lantern
2. The Haunted House 3. The Lucky Envelope
4. Computer Game: Dinosaur Dig 5. The Animal Orchestra
6. Santa’s Little Helper
7. Christmas is my Favourite Day 8. Adventure Sports
9. My Favourite Day 10. No Dogs, Please!
11. The First Marathon 12. The Twins’ Week 13. The Mummy
Modules No. Texts
Relationships 1. World Records
2. Why Anansi has Thin Legs 3. My Dad
4. Monster Shopping Trip 5. The Treasure Map
The Magic of Nature
1. Look out, Angel!
2. Planet Earth Museum 3. The Snowman
4. The Cold Planet
5. Ali and the Magic Carpet
We Love Hong Kong
1. What will I be When I Grow up
2. Jobs
3. Eric the Engine 4. Pyramids in Paris 5. Spycat
6. The Great Race
Suggested modules for KS2 (from 2004 ELCG, p.A5)
Interactive Books in PEER
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Promoting Reading across the
Curriculum (RaC)
Overall Aims of the School Curriculum
To provide all students with essential life-long learning experiences for whole-person development in the domains of ethics, intellect, physical development, social skills and aesthetics, according to individual potential, so that all students can become active,
responsible and contributing members of society, the nation and the world.
To help students to learn how to learn through cultivating positive values, attitudes, and a commitment to life-long learning, and through
developing generic skills to acquire and construct knowledge.
Basic Education Curriculum - Guide Building on Strengths (Primary 1 - Secondary 3) (2002), Booklet 1 p.2
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 and
identifying values, attitudes and beliefs expressed in the text
Nurturing positive values and attitudes
Life-long Learning and Whole-person Development
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How can teachers promote
RaC?
Identify reading materials with
suitable entry points
Help students develop the reading skills and
strategies necessary for understanding language features
Collaborate with teachers of other
KLAs Design reading
activities that reinforce students’
ability to integrate the knowledge, skills
and learning experiences gained
in other KLAs
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 1::
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Major Concern of the School
Creating a caring school campus
Nurturing responsible, considerate and polite students, family members and citizens
Features:
Related to students’ daily life experience
Develop
positive values and attitudes
Reading Workshops at KS1
“Oreos”
Language to fight for Oreos
Phrases to put the blame on others
Analysis on Language used in arguments:
Focus Questions:
How do we get along with our friends?
What are the qualities of a good friend?
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Reading Workshops at KS1
“Oreos”
Language to make negative comments Language to make negative and personal critics
Language to make apologies
Analysis on Language used in arguments:
Relating to students’
own experience and sharing about their own conflict with a good
friend
A good friend should be …
Considerate: able to see things from different perspectives
Responsible: having the courage to make apologies
Whole-person development
Lesson learnt
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Tips to save energy
Reading Workshops at KS2 (Non-fiction )
Whole-person development:
Nurturing responsible, considerate and polite students, family members and citizens
Focus questions:
How can we live a green life to save the planet?
What are the green tips we can share with others?
Useful tips to live a green life
at home
at school
in the community
Example 2:
39101 Ways to Save the Planet Before Bedtime
Written by Paul Mason
Example 3:
Using a story with a theme that can promote reading across the curriculum
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• Story: Bali
• Features/characteristics of the story:
simple and clear storyline
themes to promote RaC
morals to develop positive values and attitudes
• Reading skill:
identify characters, setting and sequence of
events in stories
41 Major Concern of the
School
Creating a caring school campus
Nurturing
responsible and considerate
students Nurturing positive values and attitudes through reading and identifying values and attitudes expressed in the text
Module:
Caring for others
English Language
Reading Workshops
Storytelling Supported Reading
General English
Units:
- Good manners
- Getting on with others
Bali – Everything is connected. / We should care about others.
Let’s take the role of KS2 students and
experience the storytelling session!
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Hands-on Practice
Work in pairs.
Select 1-2 reading text(s) that you find suitable for your KS2 students.
Consider which of the five teaching strategies for
reading can be used and how the chosen reading text(s) can promote RaC and/or nurture positive values and
attitudes in your KS2 Reading Workshops.
Design a brief lesson plan to try out at least one of the teaching strategies for reading.
Share with others.
Activity 2 – Planning reading lessons
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