Teaching Reading to Young Learners

Serena ChuEnglish Language Fellow

Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi

Some problems with reading and young learners

• Read too slowly• Don’t have enough vocabulary• Get frustrated• Bored• Would rather watch TV or play

video games

So…

How do we get children excited about reading?

Teaching Reading to Young Learners

• Get students involved—make the reading relevant to them!

• Use art, music, drama, and dance

• Connect reading to other skills• Read to them• Give them opportunities to love

reading

Getting children involved

• Mini-books• Sequencing stories• Reading to children

• Activities

Making WordsIG N G E R B R E A D M NA

Form new words:

ginger read

man hand

thing dear

beat the

bread ran

I’m the Gingerbread Man

I’m the Gingerbread Man and I’m here to say,

You can’t catch me, no not today.I’ve run away from a big brown

horse,And I can run from you of course,

of course.I took a ride on the sly fox’s back.He ate me up for a tasty snack.Yum! Yum!

Gingerbread Man Recipe

Ingredients:¾ cup Crisco shortening (not oil)1 cup light brown sugar¼ cup molasses1 egg2 ¼ cups sifted flour2 teaspoons baking soda½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon ground cloves1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon ginger

Gingerbread Man RecipeMix all items. Refrigerate overnight.

Form small balls (about 4 cm. diameter) to give to each child, so they can shape it into a man or woman. If they don’t use it all, they can make cookies with it. Add M & M’s for facial features.

Spray Pam on individual pieces of foil that have been “wadded up” and then smoothed out. Write each student’s name on the foil with a permanent marker.Bake for 10 mins. at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

After the gingerbreads cool, use colored frosting to decorate around the edges. Students can use plastic sandwich bags with holes cut in the corner. They can use cream cheese frosting from a can.

Gingerbread Man Fingerplay and Chant

Five little gingerbread men lying on a tray,

One jumped up and ran away.Shouting, “Catch me, catch me,

catch me if you can… I run really fast, I’m a gingerbread

man!

(Repeat with four, three, two, one…)

Gingerbread Man Fingerplay and Chant,

con’t.No more gingerbread men lying

on a tray,They all jumped up and ran

away.Oh, how I wish they had stayed

with me to play.Next time I’ll eat them before

they run away!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Sequencing cards

• Video: Reading and asking reading aloud questions

Egg carton caterpillar and caterpillar magnet

Coffee filter butterflies

• Color the coffee filters with markers• Place on brown paper and spray with water• Squish and tie filters together with pipe

cleaners or use a clothespin and stick on eyes

The Very Hungry Student

On Monday, ___________ ate ______________.

On Tuesday, he/she ate __________________.

(name of student)

(one apple)

(two pancakes)

Life cycle of a butterfly

• You can do this on a paper plate

button

tissue paper

paper bag

green fuzzy balls

Song (sung to the tune of Addams’ family)

Refrain:My tummy is fat (snap snap)I like it like that (snap snap)

I wiggle around,I jiggle around,

My tummy is fat (snap snap)

Song (sung to the tune of Addams’ family)

I’m a hairy caterpillerI’m such a chubby feller

I love to eat and eat,Those leaves are such a treat!

*Back to refrain

The Little Caterpillar (to the tune of Itsy Bitsy

Spider)The little caterpillar climbed up into a

tree (climb fingers)

Spun his cocoon and slept so quietly (spin hands and sleep)

All through the winter he didn’t make a sound (shake head no with finger in

front of lips)

He dreamt of his new life when he’d be flying around (pretend to sleep)

The Little Caterpillar, con’t.

While he was sleeping the snow did gently fall (fingers wiggle down)

Winter came and went then he heard the robin’s call: “Come on Mr. Butterfly, out of your cocoon! (hand to mouth and shout)

Spread your wings and fly for me while I sing my tune.” (spread arms and wave)

What can parents and teachers do?

• Read to your children• Take your children to the library• Give them books as gifts• Encourage with stickers or other

rewards• Ask them questions when

reading to them (read aloud)

What can parents and teachers do?

• Have students retell story after you’ve read it to them

• Integrate reading with other skills: art, science, math, speaking, and writing

Other ideas for teaching reading:

Have students act out parts of the book

Characterization: draw characters in groups

Listen to books on tape Reading circles