State of Kuwait Assema Educational Area E.L.T Supervision School year 2011/2012

1. State of KuwaitAssema Educational Area E.L.T SupervisionSchool year 2011/2012 A presentation on Free reading and using stories in the classrooms. E.L.T Senior Supervisor MRS. Noria Al Sedra Prepared by ELT Supervisor FatmaAmeen

2. Objectives of this presentation By the end of this session ,participants should be able to answer these questions: How can we motivate learners to read a story? Why should we teach through stories? How can our students benefit from stories? What do stories give our students that routine texts can’t? What kind of activities can be done before , while and after reading a story?

3. IT’S STORY TIME

4. Helping Children to Read a story To have a successful reading lesson with your class you need to think about these questions: • Why are they reading this story? • How are they going to read it? • What are they going to do when they finish reading?

5. Generating initial motivation Involve pupils in the selection of the story, For example, if you are using a collection of short stories, give a brief description of each and organize a class vote for the one pupils like best. Being involved in such decision making will give pupils a sense of ownership and responsibility. How to motivate young learners to read a story

6. 2. Introducing Good Books When a teacher brings new books into the classroom they should not just be put on the back shelf or table, they should be introduced. A few well chosen words can: really get some children excited. For example, “Boys and girls, today I found a pretty interesting book at the library. It’s about a king named Jack. A witch changes all of his men into frogs and plans to do the same with him, Can you imagine that? I’ll put it back here on the library shelf in case you are looking for it.

7. 3. Singing songs Read with me When the reading lesson starts to show Read with me, let me grow Like a lazy ocean meets the shore Read with me, teach me more Story books have a magic technique When we read them, we never go weak Never go weak Read with me learn with me Let me grow. Teach me more Let your mind be a deep vast pool With Somaya primary school Read with me learn with me.

8. Divide the class into reading teams that are named with nice names such as (The Sweet city Girls) and (The clever readers' team) Children can create attractive badges to show their support to their particular teams. Two large posters with the names of these teams may be displayed in the class to be marked with stars or smiling faces for the good reading team. 4. Reading teams The clever readers' team Stories are fun

9. Why do we need using stories in the EFL classrooms? • Stories can give excellent contextualisation for new or recycled language. • Stories offer opportunities for vocabulary building. • stories are highly motivating for learners (and teachers!). • Stories can sometimes link with children’s own knowledge of life . • Stories offer great opportunities for cultural input . • Stories can help teachers develop all 4 language skills.

10. How can our students benefit from reading stories? Promote a feeling of well being and relaxation Increase children's willingness to communicate thoughts and feelings Encourage active participation Increase verbal proficiency Encourage use of imagination and creativity Encourage cooperation among students Enhance listening skills

11. What do stories give our students that routine texts cannot? allow children to explore their own cultural roots allow children to experience diverse cultures enable children to empathize with unfamiliar people/places/situations offer insights into different traditions and values help children understand how wisdom is common to all peoples/all cultures offer insights into universal life experiences help children consider new ideas reveal differences of cultures around the world

12. Activities to prepare children for reading. (Pre-reading activities). • Using illustrations: Introduce the book and its features. Starting with the cover. The teacher can talk about the book’s title and the picture on its cover. The teacher can ask questions which get the students to draw on any experiences that may be relevant to this story. Try and guess what the story is about from the cover of the book/picture you have (visualize the story ) Ask learners to look at the picture before reading .Identifying all characters by means of showing their pictures. For example : if we are dealing with the story of (Pinocchio)

14. 2. pre-teaching vocabulary After presenting the cover, The teacher can take the students for a picture tour of the book, stopping to ask them to comment on any picture, or identify any vocabulary that the teacher might wish to highlight or pre-teach. then ask them to guess what a story using all these words might be about. A carpenter : A worker who makes things with wood . A witch : Evil: A very bad action. Lie: not telling the truth

16. 3. Introducing the theme. It is a good idea to familiarize learners with the topic before reading, by asking questions or giving a summary about the story . • Do you like toys ? • What can a carpenter make ? • What can a witch do in stories ? • Is it good to tell lies ?

17. What did the wolf tell Pinocchio in the story? Pinocchio had a long nose ! Guess Why ? The witch

18. (While reading activities). 1. Using a variety of ways to read: • Teachers can present the story – read out loud, using pictures . • Children ‘read’ (look at) the book to themselves, then listen to the teacher reading it out loud. • Children put the pictures in order and then teacher or other pupil reads it out loud. • Buddy reading – when two children sit together and one (older/more able) reads out the story, as they both look at the pages.

19. 2. total physical response: • the story can be mimed while the teacher reads some parts. • 3. vocabulary help: Helping pupils to look for meaning using picture dictionaries while reading. • 4. characters and voices Ask pairs to read the role of characters acting their funny voices… • Ask the children to change the end or middle of story.

20. Provide each student with a drawing paper and crayons, and select a small passage (usually one paragraph) from a text already somewhat familiar to students. First read the passage aloud to students as they listen only. Immediately following the first reading, read the passage again and allow students to begin drawing to represent the content of the passage. If needed, read the passage a third time while students are drawing. Directed draw

21. Choral reading As an alternative to “popcorn” reading; it allows greater chance for reluctant speakers while building fluency and (when done with written text visible to student) supports the development of phonemic awareness and English phonetics.( suitable for grade three )

22. My partner Reading Cube In this activity, pupils are given paper cubes with the following instructions written on four different faces of the cube: ask a question, talk about a character, and summarize., or “wild card,” in which students pick a task from one of the other faces of the cube.. The cubes can be used during paired reading, or while pupils read in small groups. After reading a passage or paragraph, the pupil rolls the cube and does the task the cube shows. The student’s reading partner then reads and rolls the cube.

28. Post reading activities Quick comprehension check: Asking few gist question to make sure they have finished with understanding . Why was Pinocchio happy at the end? Make a poster to illustrate the story Using simple drawings with vocabulary labels in English . Role play or act out the story: Starting with miming actions or using masks to imitate the characters. Make puppets and then have a puppet show of the story. Draw and colour/paint the characters and objects or scenes.

29. 1. Book Bouquet Talk to children about their favourite books. What did they like about the characters? What events in these stories were particularly interesting to them? Provide art supplies and ask children to create a drawing about their favourite book. When the drawings are finished, attach each to a piece of stick. "Plant" children's drawings by placing them in flowerpots and display them around the room to create book bouquets . "book-based" activities to enhance children's involvement with stories.

30. Provide art materials to pupils to create their own bookmarks. Pupils may want to draw pictures of their favourite story characters on the tag board markers. Print each child's name on the back of his/her marker. Later, allow children to use their markers to mark their places in the books in your library area. encourage them to notice the books their classmates are enjoying by "reading" the names on the bookmarks. 2. My Own Bookmark

31. A post reading Activity (Pinocchio) • Fill in the speech bubbles with the following: • Plant your coins under the tree. • Stop lying and your nose will stop getting longer. • Don't cry, I will give you some money. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------

32. What kind of activities can we do after teaching the story? Role Plays relating to the characters in the story Drawing the story in comics Changing the ending of the story Choosing your favorite part of the story and discussing it. Talking about characters Talking about plot and sequence Talking about messages Graphic Organizers (for events/ cause and effect/….) Class debate on an issue in the story (in groups) Various writing activities-summarizing/ dialogue writing/ letters to characters/ newspaper reports

33. Worksheets Story map Fishbone 5 looks on a book

34. Remember • Never go into a reading lesson unprepared. • Never translate every word for the students Let them try to work out the meaning. • Never tell them to ‘just read’. Give them a task. • Check the language in the story before reading in class. • Use the whole of your body to express the story as you read it.

35. Use realia, gestures and pictures whenever you can to support the story. • Vary your pace / intonation / voice / and ‘over support’ the language with your gestures and movements. • Allow the children to join in recycled phrases or add sound effects. Thanks for listening