Home Assignment 8: Teaching Reading PDF

**HOME ASSIGNMENT 8** **Theme: "Teaching Reading"** I. **Theoretical issues:** 1. Reading as a skill. 2. Strategies of Reading (Skimming, Scanning). 3. Principles of Reading. 4. Criteria for choosing reading text materials. 5. Procedure of teaching Reading: Stages (Pre-; While-; Post-)...

**HOME ASSIGNMENT 8** **Theme: "Teaching Reading"** I. **Theoretical issues:** 1. Reading as a skill. 2. Strategies of Reading (Skimming, Scanning). 3. Principles of Reading. 4. Criteria for choosing reading text materials. 5. Procedure of teaching Reading: Stages (Pre-; While-; Post-) and Activities. 6. Assessment of Reading. Rubrics. **II. Problem-Solving Tasks:** **Problem-Solving Task \#1:** You notice that a significant number of your students struggle with comprehension when reading nonfiction texts. Develop a plan that includes specific strategies and activities to enhance their understanding of nonfiction material, ensuring to incorporate graphic organizers and discussion prompts to facilitate deeper engagement with the content. To boost nonfiction comprehension, begin with pre-reading activities like anticipation guides and KWL charts to activate prior knowledge and set a purpose. Introduce key vocabulary through the Frayer Model. During reading, have students annotate for main ideas and questions, and use concept maps to organize thoughts. After reading, deepen understanding with discussion prompts focused on the author's purpose, reflective journals, and T-charts for claims and evidence. For reinforcement, use group presentations, Socratic seminars, or visual summaries like infographics. Evaluate with quizzes and exit tickets for insights on comprehension challenges. This approach combines graphic organizers and engaging activities to strengthen understanding. **Problem-Solving Task \#2:** In your classroom, you have a mix of reluctant readers and advanced readers, making it challenging to find appropriate reading materials for everyone. Create a selection of tiered reading resources that cater to various reading levels, and outline how you would implement these resources in small group instruction to promote a supportive learning environment. To find appropriate, engaging books for a classroom with both reluctant and advanced readers, create a diverse selection of materials that cater to varied interests and reading levels. Begin by surveying students on their favorite genres, topics, and authors to identify specific interests. Include a range of formats, such as graphic novels, audiobooks, short stories, and novels across multiple genres, so each student has options aligned with their preferences and abilities. During small group sessions, let students choose books based on interest rather than reading level, fostering a supportive environment where they feel motivated to engage. Pair reluctant and advanced readers in groups to discuss themes or ideas, not specifics of reading difficulty, allowing students to contribute unique perspectives and benefit from peer insights. Rotate groups regularly to expose students to new genres and encourage broader reading habits, and hold brief discussions to reflect on what resonated with them. This approach promotes inclusivity and encourages students to explore a variety of literature, supporting personal growth and interest-based learning. **Problem-Solving Task \#3:** During a recent assessment, many of your students performed poorly on reading fluency tests, indicating a need for improvement in this area. Design a series of targeted fluency activities that include repeated reading, paired reading, and the use of audiobooks, and explain how you would monitor progress and adjust your instruction based on student performance. In repeated reading, select short passages or excerpts from stories that align with students\' interests, and ask them to read aloud multiple times over several days, each time aiming for greater fluidity and speed. Use progress-tracking sheets where students can record their words-per-minute (WPM) scores and accuracy rates after each attempt, helping them visualize their progress and stay motivated. Alongside this, use teacher feedback on expression, such as varied tone and natural pauses, to encourage expressive reading. For paired reading, match students strategically---pairing fluent readers with peers who need more practice---so that fluent readers can serve as role models in pacing, pronunciation, and expression. Provide guidelines to the fluent readers on giving constructive feedback, such as prompting their partner to try again if they stumble over a word, or encouraging pauses at punctuation marks for better comprehension. After each session, have both students briefly reflect on what went well and what could improve, fostering a supportive atmosphere and peer learning. Using audiobooks, students can follow along with physical texts as they listen to proficient narration, focusing on prosody and rhythm. Choose high-quality narrations with clear enunciation and engaging storytelling, allowing students to experience fluent reading modeled with emotion and proper pacing. After listening, have students attempt to read the same passages aloud, mimicking the expression and pacing they heard. For monitoring, record students during their reading sessions and compare their current reading to earlier attempts, analyzing changes in pacing, expression, and accuracy. Progress monitoring is essential. Regular one-minute timed readings help track WPM, while fluency rubrics that cover accuracy, expression, and phrasing give insights beyond speed alone. Based on these observations, instruction should be adapted: students needing focus on accuracy can work on familiar texts to build confidence, while those advancing in expression might shift to complex texts where emphasis on tone and pauses is more crucial. Tailoring reading passages to students\' interests ensures engagement and a steady increase in fluency as they encounter progressively challenging materials. **Problem-Solving Task \#4:** You want to integrate technology into your reading instruction, but you\'re unsure which tools would be most effective. Research and select three digital resources or apps that promote reading engagement and comprehension, and describe how you would incorporate them into your lessons to enhance student learning. **Problem-Solving Task \#5:** Many of your English language learners (ELLs) are struggling with reading comprehension due to language barriers. Propose a differentiated approach that includes scaffolded reading strategies, such as using bilingual texts and incorporating visual aids, to help ELLs improve their comprehension skills while also building their English language proficiency. **Problem-Solving Task \#6:** Your students often struggle to differentiate between skimming and scanning, leading to ineffective reading strategies. Create a lesson plan that clearly defines both techniques and includes interactive activities where students practice each method on different types of texts, explaining how you will assess their ability to apply these strategies correctly. **Problem-Solving Task \#7:** During a recent reading assessment, you noticed that many students spend too much time on texts, missing key information due to a lack of effective reading techniques. Design a workshop that focuses on teaching students skimming for main ideas and scanning for specific details, incorporating timed exercises to help them improve their speed and accuracy. **Problem-Solving Task \#8:** Some students tend to read every word of a passage, making it difficult for them to complete reading assignments on time. Develop a set of targeted exercises that encourage skimming for overall understanding and scanning for specific facts, including follow-up questions that reinforce their comprehension and application of these techniques. **REFERENCES:** 1. Миролюбов А.А. Методика обучения иностранным языкам: традиции и современность. Обнинск, Титул, 2010. 2. David Nunan. Language teaching Methodology. Chapter 4. Pp. 63-82.