ER: Student stories a lesson in assumptions

Kevin Stein:Twitter: (@kevchanwow)

email: kevchanwow@gmail

My friend

TOM

TriviaObsessed Messaging

Gains in reading speed

Average reading speed from 121—>181 WPM

Difficulty of texts read

From this(Beginner Middle)

to This(elementary early)

Gains in working memory

average number of words held in working memory

start: 4.4

finish: 6.5

The spring of 1634 arrives, but in the prison of Lancaster Castle it stays cold. The twenty women in the prison are dirty, hungry, and cold.

—-From The murders in the Rouge Morgue, OUP (elementary early)

The spring of 1634 / arrives / but in the prison of / Lancaster Castle it stays / cold / the twenty women in / the prison are dirty / hungry and cold/

The spring of 1634 arrives /but in the prison of Lancaster Castle / it stays cold / The twenty women in the prison / are dirty and hungry and cold.

From this

to

the impact of (hard?) evidence

14 research-y papers + my data which have convinced

x number of teachers. (where x=?)

How I Talk about ER

Listen to these NUMBERS!

You’ve got to do this, dude!

Let me tell you about Saki!

Mason and Krashen (1997) treatment:

Experiment 1: “the Sai Rishu class spent the second semester reading graded readers, both in class and as homework. About 100 books for students of EFL were purchased for the 30 students in the class. Students were required to read 50 books during the semester, and were also required to write short synopses and keep a diary in Japanese recording their feelings, opinions, and progress.

Yamashita (2013): The class met once a week for 90 minutes. During class, students were able to access approximately 500 graded English readers (a series of Oxford, Cambridge, Heinemann, and Penguin), and were encouraged to choose whichever books they wanted to read. If they preferred to read their own books, that was also accepted.

My friendDAVID

The World (can always) be divided into 2 (maybe 3) groups

People who wear funny

hats

People who don’t wear funny hats

People who have no idea what this venn diagram is about

The Students:

Mimi

Mimi’s attitudes towards reading

I read English for pleasure: never

I read Japanese for pleasure: almost never

I use a dictionary when reading English: usually

I think reading in English is fun: almost never

1000 Headwords

Mimi’s ProgressReading speed: 106 —> 170 WPM

Working memory: 4.8 words —> 8.3 words

Book level: beginner high —> elementary high

Assumption: Students will be satisfied when they see themselves improving and know that ER

actually works.

What would you have done?

Ways to convince Mimi of the value of ER.

Rei-Rei

Extensive reading is not just submerging students in a bath of

print.—-Bamford and Day, p. xiii

What the hell is an aeroplane?!

Assumption: Students know how to effectively use the redundant information in a picture book.

Ta-Keit’s not

Japanese

Bookstrapping?

Assumption: There are i-1 level texts for all level students.

_______ is ER guidance.

Rei-Rei’s Progress

Reading speed: 49 —> 132 WPM

Working memory: 2.4 words —> 4.6 words

Book level: beginner early (?) —> beginner high

My Stupid Assumption: Extensive reading, in and of itself, is enough reading instruction for lower

level learners

What would you have done?

Ways to smooth the transition into ER for students like Rei-Rei.

Yu-Yu

Dictionary:friend

of foe

2nd language learners who read masses of varied and interesting i-1 material can

increase their general vocabulary knowledge.

—-Bamford and Day, p. 17

Do we need to train students in guessing

from context?

constipation constitution

Assumption: at the i-1 level, guessing from context is quick and students inherently know how

to do it.

Guessing from Context

identify the word/phrase you don’t know.

read the sentence before, the sentence, and the sentence after.

decide if the word has a + or - meaning.

decide on what kind of word it might be (a noun, a form of transportation).

Read the three sentences again and see if you have enough information to make sense of the passage.

If you are feeling really itchy, check the word in your dictionary.

Yu-Yu’s progress

Reading rate increased from 95 —> 109 WMP

Working memory: 4.7 —> 4.45

level of text read: beginner high—>elementary early

Assumption: comprehension = how much a student

understands of a book

Ro-Ro

Grading/Evaluation

25% attendance (simply being in class)

50% in class reading (actively reading in class)

15% in class extension activities (did they do it)

10% ER class during exam week

“Spacing Out” is one of the great pleasures of

reading.

Chairs and Tables

Floor SpaceFree Space

Assumption:

the act of reading =

looking at a page of text and making sense of black

squiggles.

Student reads too fast

certain booksprevent retention

of new words

only willingto read

one kind of text

only reads super easy

texts

won't read outside

of class

don’t want other students

to know what they are reading

Wants to read shorter

texts

miss the simple books

of yore

Places to find out more about ER:

ER CentralThe Extensive Reading

FoundationJALT ER SIG