Archive for the ‘Reading’ category

Reflecting on How We Ask Students to Read

September 29, 2011

Recent consultations on lesson planning have encouraged me to reflect on all the ways we can use texts in the classroom. I’ve written in the past on ways to read with students, from silent reading to choral reading. I’ve also suggested activities to help teach text organization and suprasegmentals.

I’d like to offer some additional ideas to maximize the teaching potential of texts brought into the classroom.

  • To teach vocabulary. Underline 5-6 target words in the text. Write synonyms or antonyms on the board and have students match the underlined words to the ones listed on the board. Recycle these words in your discussion of the text and in a related communicative activity.
  • To focus on meaning and sentence structure. Similar to the previous idea. Underline 3-4 sentences in the text. Write paraphrases on the board and have students match them to the underlined sentences. Discuss the alternative words and grammatical structures. This task could lead into a grammar presentation. For example, you can show how full adjective or adverb clauses become reduced or how an infinitive of purpose can have the equivalent meaning of a conditional.
  • To focus on purpose. Place the students in pairs. Number each paragraph. Write the numbers on slips of paper, shuffle the slips, and give a random number to each pair. Students will work with their partners to craft one question that targets the purpose of their paragraph. These questions will be read aloud, and the class will identify the corresponding paragraphs. Offer prompts for question formation: Which paragraph discusses ___? Which paragraph explains ___? In which paragraph does the author ___? Which paragraph presents ___?

Related posts include:

  • Mix and Match – An activity that practices skimming and helps students focus on the writer’s purpose.
  • Many Magazine, Many Benefits – An activity that exposes students to popular magazines and teaches a set of skills: reading (scanning, skimming); academic skills/ critical-thinking skills (making predictions, making inferences).

Inquiring Minds: using headlines to practice embedded questions

May 3, 2011

Click here to listen to my introduction to the activity Inquiring Minds.

A while ago I suggested a writing activity to practice embedded questions. Questionable Qualities focuses on identifying sentence structure (embedded questions as subjects, objects, and complements) and limits self-expression to sentence generations based on fictitious characters. The activity allows for communicative practice, but remains somewhat controlled.

If students demonstrate comfort with “Questionable Questions”, I’d like to suggest a speaking activity using authentic headlines. See my Inquiring Minds_handout. Tabliods would suit this activity well, but you may choose the sources based on your knowledge of the students’ interests. Include current issues that they would likely be hearing about outside the classroom.

Happy teaching!

Puzzling Paraphrases: A whole language activity for upper level students

August 5, 2010

Much classroom activity can be based on a lengthy quote that has depth. We come across such thought-provoking quotes in various places –  in a magazine, during a political speech, on the radio, etc. The next time you encounter one, make note of it. Later find a copy to share with a group of upper level students, and consider using a combination of the ideas listed below to create a whole language activity.

  • Many attritbute the following quote to Socrates. (See Wikiquote article.) Apparently there is some debate over the source. Regardless, the statement is provocative and discussion-worthy.


  1. Discussion: Who do you think said this? What kind of person? Young, old, man, woman, parent, grandparent, politician…?
  2. Discussion: Summarize the thought in one sentence. Decide if you agree or disagree with the statement.
  3. Reading/ speaking: Create a puzzle of words. Break up the quote into phrases. Before students see the quote as a whole, ask them to assemble the pieces in the most logical order. Have them work in pairs and then compare their sequencing. Here’s how I’d break up the above quote before I mixed up the pieces: our youth now love// luxury //they have bad manners, contempt for// authority// they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of // exercise// they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their// parents// chatter before// company// gobble up their // food //and tyrannize their //teachers//
  4. Reading/ writing: Make the quote a gapped text. Have them work solo or with a partner to fill in the blanks. Let them compare their work before revealing the actual quote. Model with above quote: Our ________ now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for _________; they show disrespect for their _______ and love chatter in place of ________; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they _______ their parents, chatter before company; _______ up their food and ______ their teachers.
  5. Speaking or writing topics: Allow for students to make a personal connection to such a quote. For example, with the model quote above, I asked a group of students these questions: (1) How would you describe the differences between your generation and your parents’? And you grandparents’? (2) How do you think the generation after you will differ? (3) To what degree should parents influence their children? To what degree do you take after your parents?

Top 5 Uses of Top 10 Lists

July 23, 2010





Getting the Most Out of Authentic Texts

July 7, 2010


  • Teaching text organization and comprehension of main ideas.



  • Teaching suprasegmentals.



The Art of Creating Activities: Using Museum Websites for Language Teaching

May 24, 2010





The Louvre



Model: [Slides 1-6]

  1. Who lived at the Winter Palace?
  5. Who was the first true owner of the palace?

The Hermitage


  • Comprehension questions based on the video (first 3 minutes)
  1. Who founded the Smithsonian?
  2. How large is the Smithsonian?
  1. (1:05) hall of fame
  2. (1:37) (not) kidding around
  4. (2:57) crack a code



The Power of Polls

April 9, 2010




                Monday: Are you wearing RED today?

                Tuesday: Are you wearing BLUE today?

                Wednesday: Are you wearing GREEN today?

                Thursday: Are you wearing BLACK today?

                Friday:  Are you wearing YELLOW today?


                Monday: Are you TIRED or NOT TIRED today?

                Tuesday: Are you HAPPY or SAD today?

                Wednesday: Are you HUNGRY or NOT HUNGRY now?

                Thursday: Are you COLD, HOT, or OKAY now?

                Friday:  Are you THIRSTY or NOT THIRSTY now?


Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 857 other followers