Making the most of reading texts Ceri Jones

Making the most of what?

How? When?
before reading
creating reading tasks
focusing on form
following up
revisiting

BEFORE READING

Working with headlines
spelling dictation
whispered / mumbled dictation
jumbled / jigsawed / gapped

T-H-E R-E-S T-L-E S-S-M I-N-D
Working with headlines

THE | RESTLESS | MIND
Working with headlines
A

THE | RESTLESS | MIND
Working with headlines
LAZY
CURIOUS
…

THE | RESTLESS | MIND
Working with headlines
PERSON

human brain
development
memory
dreams
Working with key words

human brain
development
memory
dreams
Debates are on-going over the ___________ of the _________ and the role of _______ and _______ in consciousness
Key words in sentences

Working with first sentences

Working with first sentences
era fading in memorisation digital away is

A: practice lucid true
Working with first sentences

A: practice lucid true
B: dreaming wishes come
Working with first sentences

A: practice lucid true
B: dreaming wishes come
Working with first sentences
The _______ of _______ _________ can make _______ ______ ______ .

CREATING READING TASKS

Asking questions

Asking questions

My family’s experiment in extreme schooling

My family’s experiment in extreme schooling
Whose family is it?
What kind of experiment was it?
Why did they conduct the experiment?
What was extreme about the schooling?
Where did the experiment take place?
When did the experiment take place?
Was it successful?

My family’s experiment in extreme schooling
Whose family is it?
What kind of experiment was it?
Why did they conduct the experiment?
What was extreme about the schooling?
Where did the experiment take place?
When did the experiment take pla
Why was the article written?
Who is it written for?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/my-familys-experiment-in-extreme-schooling.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
My family’s experiment in extreme schooling

Reader response code

Reader response code
if you feel sympathy for the people involved if you agree with the decisions taken
! or ? if there’s anything else that strikes you as interesting – or puzzles you

Exploring themes and threads

Exploring themes and threads
the parents’ decisions
the kids’ reactions
the parents’ reactions
the school

Exploring themes and threads
the parents’ decisions
the kids’ reactions
the parents’ reactions
the school
Exploring lexical sets
emotional reactions
...

FOCUSING ON FORM

Focusing on form: gap fills

Most foreign correspondents, like expatriates ____ general, place their children ____ international schools. Yet sending them ___ a local school seemed _____ us _____ an inspiring idea. After all, children supposedly pick up language quickly. So what if mine did not speak a word _____ Russian and could not find Russia _____ a map?
Focusing on form: gap fills

Focusing on form: verbs

Julie and I talked. I wondered whether it might be better if I went to the school and persuaded Arden to stay until the end of the day, if only in a quiet room, reading a book in English. Julie wanted her picked up, reasoning that it would be smarter to start fresh tomorrow. I didn’t want to argue about it. When I found her at school, she brightened. It was as if she were being rescued.
Focusing on form: verbs

Focusing on sentences

to school wanted I give to the time more
Focusing on sentences

to school wanted I give to the time more
Focusing on sentences
I wanted to give the school more time

school wanted I give the time more
Focusing on sentences

FOLLOWING UP

Following up
competitive summaries
identifying key words
writing discussion questions
…

REVISITING

Reconstructing sentences

phone / ring / stomach / clench / hear / voice. “ Daddy / home” say / 8-year-old daughter, Arden.
Arden / spend / minutes between class periods / hide / bathroom / no one / see / cry.
Reconstructing sentences

Simply retelling
Recalling key words
Retelling from key words / first sentences
Revisiting student-created exercises
Dictating/dictoglossing an extract/paragraph from the text
...
More revisiting