The Teachers' Room: 3 ways to make reading engaging

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Reading is an important skill. Many reading lessons progress in a similar fashion: Prediction, Gist, Detail and Language work. Here are some ideas to make things more interesting.

Prediction
Getting students to predict what they will read not only engages their interest but also allows them time to begin to associate with the context of the reading. Use images, headlines, paragraph headings and graphics to get learners discussing what they believe they will be reading. A few key words can also be given out. These can be done all at once, or one at a time, getting students to change their predictions with each successive word.

Gist
Gist activities allow students to gain a general understanding of a text without too much detail. Usual methods include getting them to verify their predictions or answering general true or false questions about the text. However, Sian recommends playing ‘screw up’. Take the chosen text and roll it into a ball. The students may not unroll the ball. Ask the students to get a general idea of the text by reading the outside layer.

Scanning
Scanning is a skill which teaches students to find key information rapidly without reading everything in the text. It is useful for texts like timetables, menus and leaflets. Playing ‘grass skirt’ is a good way to practice this skill. Prepare some questions on a relevant text and cut them into a grass skirt. Hang them on the wall – one per group. Ask students to race to retrieve a question, return to their group and scan the text to find the answer. The first group to finish wins.

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