USIL LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT-READING CLUB

English I / Ingles 1
Reading is an important skill for English language learners. However, the acquisition of reading
skills is not simple and students need practice to become fluent readers. Successful readers have
to recognize unfamiliar letters, words, syntax, and discourse patterns. These can give better
results if students are highly motivated to read and if they read widely they can achieve greater
fluency in English and gain confidence and pleasure in learning the language.
But what can teachers do to motivate students to read in English?
One of the best techniques is to choose reading topics that appeal to students, assigning material
and tasks at the right level, organizing collaborative work, and offering incentives and feedback.
This time we will be using e-books for English I and physical readers for Ingls 1.
Our Reading Club is aiming to appeal students by using selected graded readers, e-books and
motivational activities to develop in them the interest for reading

Suggested activities
Speaking activities
a. Students play Who am I? One student pretends to be one of the characters from the
book. The class asks questions but the character can only answer Yes or No. The class tries
to get the character.
b. Introduce the reading by talking about the topic of the text, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. Try to draw out from students what they already know about the subject or what
their expectations are. SS use the title and pictures (if available) to talk about the text and
predict what it is about.
c. Learn and explain something about the environment in which the book takes place, by
using a poster or pictures (environmental issues).
d. Re-tell the story in a number of simple sentences. Students can put them in the correct
order and present them to the class.
e. Exploit the illustrations so that students can re-tell the story in their own words (If
available).
Writing activities
a. Write a different ending for your story.
b. Write a different beginning for your story.
c. Ask students to make notes on the key characters and relationships in the story.
d. Ask students to make lists of similarities and differences between major characters.
e. If the story of your book takes place in another country, prepare a poster using pictures.

Vocabulary activities
a. Give learners a list of words describing personality characteristics and physical appearance
(brave, noble, strong, cowardly, etc.) Ask them to match the words to the characters in the
text.
b. Write names of characters and descriptions of them on pieces of paper and mix them up.
Ask learners to match characters to descriptions.
c. Choose birthday gifts for one of the characters involved. Tell why you chose them.
d. Choose one conflict that take place in the story and give the solutions.
e. Write a multiple choice quiz of the book with at least ten questions.
f.

Make a chart of interesting words as a whole class activity. Categorize by parts of speech,
colourful language, shape, etc.

Others
a. Make a poster advertising the text so someone else will want to read it.
b. Make a bookmark for the text, drawing a character on the front, giving a brief summary of
it on the back after listing the title and author.
c. Complete the students reading worksheets : label the spidergrams, story map master ,
story summary.
WEBLINKS
1. Interactive test to check your level
http://www.macmillanreaders.com/tests/level-test
2. Macmillan readers home page
http://www.macmillanreaders.com/

Tips for Reading to Understand Stories

Good readers think and ask questions when they read. Here are some steps.
Step 1. Think before your read (Pre-reading activities)
Look at any pictures.
Read the title of the story.
Can you answer any of these questions?
What is the story about?
Who is in the story?
Where are they?
Step 2. Read the story. (While you read)
Do you have to know all the words? NO!
You can understand the story without all the words.
Dont ask the teacher or other students about new words.
Read to the end of the story.
Step 3. Talk about the story (Post-reading activitites)
When you finish, talk about the story with another student.
What is the story about?
Who is in the story?
Where are they?
Do you like the story? Why? Why not?
Step 4. Learn new words.
Now look at the story again.
Find some new words.
Write the new words on the lines under the story.
Make a vocabulary list or a picture dictionary.