Ten Good Ideas for Teaching L2 Reading

1. Ten Good Ideas for Teaching L2 Reading William Grabe Northern Arizona University william.grabe@nau.edu

2. Research Implications Curriculum Principles (Temple of Learning) Demo Task 10 (+) Ideas for Teaching Reading Additional Information PowerPoint Guides

3. Implications from Research: What L2 Students Need • Decode forms for efficient word recognition • Access the meanings of a large number of words automatically • Draw meaning from phrase and clause level grammatical information • Combine clause-level meanings to build a larger network of text comprehension • Recognize discourse level relationships that build and support comprehension • Use reading strategies with more difficult texts

4. Implications from Research: What L2 Students Need • Set goals for reading, adjust them as needed • Make inferences of various types and monitor comprehension in line with reading goals • Draw on prior knowledge as appropriate • Evaluate and synthesize information from a text • Develop fluent reading processes and read fluently for an extended period of time • Develop and maintain motivation to persist in reading, and recognize the benefits of reading

5. Curricular Principles • Engage students in extensive practice and exposure to print (extensive reading)

6. Curricular Principles • Engage in extensive practice and exposure to print (extensive reading) • Use reading resources that are interesting, varied, good-looking, abundant, accessible

7. Curricular Principles • Engage in extensive practice and exposure to print (extensive reading) • Use reading resources that are interesting, varied, good-looking, abundant, accessible • Provide some degree of student choice

8. Curricular Principles • Engage in extensive practice and exposure to print (extensive reading) • Use reading resources that are interesting, varied, good-looking, abundant, accessible • Provide some degree of student choice • Introduce reading skills by examining and using the primary texts in the textbook

9. Curricular Principles • Develop lessons structured around pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading • Pre-reading: focus on vocabulary, a key idea, a difficult paragraph • During-reading: focus on predicting, clarifying, summarizing • Post-reading: focus on comprehension, vocabulary, evaluation, information transfer

10. Curricular Principles 6. Provide opportunities for students to experience success in reading

11. Curricular Principles • Provide opportunities for students to experience success in reading • Build expectations that reading occurs in class every day or in every lesson

12. Curricular Principles • Provide opportunities for students to experience success in reading • Build expectations that reading occurs in class every day or in every lesson • Incorporate teaching practices that support the research implications above

13. Trans Fats in Trouble (From Anderson, 2008) Read the text for 90 seconds to prepare for a set of tasks.

14. #1: Select Vocabulary for Instruction • Select a small number of key words (5-8 words) • Note 30-50 words from a text to use for vocabulary practice activities • Gloss uncommon words (fuss: attention)

15. #1: Select Vocabulary for Instruction flavor proven revolving ruled out staples texture attributed to medical study allowed process chemically changed the addition of a greater chance linked to controlling proven heart disease cancer requires obesity to alert health conditions restrict forced mandatory labeling created ban resulting heating critics switch adhere to abundant validating correlating

16. #2: Use Large Sets of Words Working with large sets of words provides a vocabulary–rich environment to support learning • Sorting • Using continua

17. #2: Use Large Sets of Words Based on the text, sort words into 3 categories (problems, processes, solutions): attributed to medical study allowed process the addition of validated a greater chance linked to controlling proven heart disease eliminate requires obesity to alert health conditions restrict forced mandatory labeling created ban resulting heating adhere to personal freedom strict rules allowed intrude into choice

18. #2: Use Large Sets of Words Sort solution (control) words along the continuum below Minimal control Maximal control adhere to, allow, ban, eliminate, willing, forced, mandatory, voluntarily, control, not intrude into, restrict, choice

19. #2: Use Large Sets of Words — mandatory Sort solution (control) words along the continuum below Minimal control Maximal control — not intrude into — restrict — eliminate — adhere to — voluntarily — willing — allow — choice — forced — control — ban

20. #3: Collect Words & Own Them Mature words on the board (during text unit) attributed to abundant texture ruled out mandatory adhere to intrude into critics Words chosen by students for their word journals. Four words they like and want to learn. (Add definitions)

21. #4: Practice Comprehension Skills • Engage students in discussions about text information (questions on how to understand the text, use of “why” questions) • Identify main ideas in the text

22. #4: Practice Comprehension Skills Finding main ideas in Trans Fats in Trouble • Paragraph 1: Sentence 2 states the problem, connecting trans fats to heart disease. • Paragraph 2: Trans fats repeated in first sentence. Sentence indicates a comparison • Paragraph 3: First sentence uses trans fats in a general statement followed by supporting examples

23. #5: Identify Signals for Discourse Organization Find patterns of discourse organization and word signals in a text: • cause-effect • comparison-contrast • problem-solution • process

24. #5: Identify Signals for Discourse Organization Look at Trans Fats in Trouble • What is the problem? (problem, cause & effect, para 1) attributed, linked to, proven • How are trans fats made? (process, para 2) created, process, change, resulting • Why are they so useful? (comparison & contrast, para 2) longer, higher, cheaper • What are solutions to the problem of trans fats? (solutions, para 3-5) restrict, allow, requires, forced, ban

25. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Fill in graphic organizers that highlight discourse structure • They are relatively few in number • They need to be repeated for multiple texts • They need to be simple and consistent

26. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Fill in the graphic organizer for solutions (para 3-5) Problem Solutions

27. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Problem (para 1) Solutions (para 3-5) • Countries restrict TF: • Denmark, Canada • Foods labeled for TF: • Canada, US • City requires ban on TF • in restaurant：NYC • City voluntarily eliminates • TF: Tiburon, CA • States ban TF: CA, MA, • MD, VT Trans fats affect health (para 1)

28. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Cause and effect (para 1) Cause Effect • Heart disease • Obesity • Cancer • 18,000 deaths under 65 (para 4) Trans Fats

29. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Definition of trans fat (para 2) Trans Fat is a component of oil that results from hydrogenation

30. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Process definition of hydrogenated oil (para 2) • Heat • Add hydrogen atoms Hydrogenated oil Natural oil

31. #6: Build Awareness of Text Structure Comparing hydrogenated oil and other oil (para 2) • Other Oils and Butter • (Spoils faster) • (Melts at lower temps) • (Less useful in baking) • (Less rich flavor/texture) • (Butter more expensive) • Hydrogenated Oil • Lasts longer • Melts at higher temps • More useful for baking • Richer flavor/texture • Cheaper than butter

32. #7: Use Important Reading Strategies • Plan and form goals before reading • Form predictions before reading • Reread as appropriate • Monitor reading continuously • Identify important information • Fill in gaps in the text through inferences and prior knowledge

33. #7: Use Important Reading Strategies • Make guesses about unknown words • Use text structure information to guide understanding • Integrate ideas from different parts of the text • Build main idea summaries • Evaluate the text and the author • Attempt to resolve difficulties

34. #7: Reading Strategies: Teachers’ Role • Introduce a strategy, talk about how, when, and why to use it • Add the strategy to a class list • Model strategic reading with teacher think-alouds • Provide extensive practice

35. #7: Reading Strategies: Teachers’ Role • Encourage student modeling and use of strategies • Make strategy instruction a part of everyday instruction, and not separate lessons • Gradually automatize student strategy use for fluent reading over time

36. Demo: Teacher Modeling Strategic Reading Think-aloud modeling demonstration Trans Fats in Trouble What strategies do I verbalize?

37. Teacher Modeling Strategic Reading Student strategy list: • Call up background knowledge • Form a question • Note text support (the glossed word) • Guess a word meaning • Use a dictionary • Predict • Summarize

38. #8: Guess Word Meanings in the Text Look at Trans Fats in Trouble • Guessing word meanings in context is a good strategy • The goal is to maintain comprehension, not learn precise vocabulary meanings • Practice strategy with words in main texts when appropriate, not with separate made-up exercises

39. #9: Develop Word Recognition Skills • Practice word recognition exercises • Timed matching activities • Timed resorting activities • Reading word lists as timed activity • Use flash cards and computer word-recognition activities

40. #9: Develop Word Recognition Skills obesity produced created health condition attributed related to correlate linked to abundant choice alternative many eliminate accept adhere to ban restrict required mandatory prevent

41. #9: Develop Word Recognition Skills eliminate produced created related to abundant ban correlate linked to restrict required obesity many attributed accept adhere to health condition alternative choice mandatory prevent

42. #9: Develop Word Recognition Skills Sort words quickly into 3 categories (problems, processes, solutions): attributed to medical study allowed process chemically changed the addition of proven heart disease eliminate requires obesity to alert health conditions restrict forced mandatory correlating created ban resulting heating adhere to personal freedom strict rules validated intrude into choice

43. #10: Recycle Texts for Fluency Practice Recycle and reread texts used in class for multiple purposes • Reread text quickly to begin post-reading discussion • Reread to work with a graphic organizer • Reread to connect to information from a previous text • Reread to make a summary or fill in an outline

44. #10: Recycle Texts for Fluency Practice • Read 3-4 times as rereading fluency practice • Read text while taking a different position from author • Read to look for text structure signals • Read to look for signals for main ideas • Read to create a radio report script • Read to find 5 words they still don’t know or want to own in their vocabulary journals

45. #11: Practice Paired Rereading for Fluency Students in pairs read a short passage multiple times for fluency practice

46. Demo: Paired rereading of Trans Fats in Trouble Get in Pairs and you need a pen or pencil: Person A: read for 30 seconds aloud (low voice), then stop and mark after the last word read. Person B: listen and help if needed.

47. Demo: Paired rereading of Trans Fats in Trouble Get in Pairs and you need a pen or pencil: Person A: read for 30 seconds aloud (low voice), then stop and mark after the last word read. Person B: listen and help if needed. Person B: read FROM THE BEGINNING for 30 seconds, then stop and mark after last word read. Person A: listen and help if needed.

48. Demo: Paired rereading of Trans Fats in Trouble Get in Pairs and you need a pen or pencil: Person A: read for 30 seconds aloud (low voice), then stop and mark after the last word read. Person B: listen and help if needed. Person B: read FROM THE BEGINNING for 30 seconds, then stop and mark after last word read. Person A: listen and help if needed. Person A: again read FROM THE BEGINNING for 30 seconds, then stop and mark.

49. Demo: Paired rereading of Trans Fats in Trouble Get in Pairs and you need a pen or pencil: Person A: read for 30 seconds aloud (low voice), then stop and mark after the last word read. Person B: listen and help if needed. Person B: read FROM THE BEGINNING for 30 seconds, then stop and mark after last word read. Person A: listen and help if needed. Person A: again read FROM THE BEGINNING for 30 seconds, then stop and mark. Person B: again read FROM THE BEGINNING for 30 seconds, then stop and mark.

50. #11: Paired Rereading Fluency Practice: Teacher’s Role • Keep passage practice short • Ask students to read texts they have already worked with or texts with at least 98% vocabulary knowledge • Have students read for a set number of seconds (40, 60, or 90 seconds) • Student can usually work with a reading partner, but they can also read with a tape recorded version, read with a teacher, or read by themselves with a clock