Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guide to Using Graded Readers Nick Dawson Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guide to Using Graded Readers This guide offers English language teachers practical advice on using graded readers both in and out of the classroom. It has been compiled by practising teachers and teacher trainers and draws on the ideas of teachers in a wide range of countries who are teaching in different types of schools and colleges. The guide describes: • what graded readers are, and the contribution they make to speedy and enjoyable language learning • how to use a class reader • activities which can be used with a class reader • how to set up a class library • using graded readers as a basis for communicative activities • using audio cassettes of graded readers • activities for holiday reading The guide also includes the following templates for teachers to photocopy and use with their learners: • a vocabulary record sheet • a reading diary • a lesson plan • a class library chart • a book review sheet • role play cards • a beautifully illustrated board game, which can be used with any reader Published and distributed by Pearson Education 9 780582 400061 ISBN 0-582-40006-6 www.penguinreaders.com
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P e n g u i n R e a d e r sT e a c h e r ’ s G u i d et o U s i n g G r a d e d R e a d e r sNick Dawson
P e n g u i n R e a d e r sT e a c h e r ’ s G u i d et o U s i n g G r a d e d R e a d e r sThis guide offers English language teachers practical advice on using graded readersboth in and out of the classroom. It has been compiled by practising teachers andteacher trainers and draws on the ideas of teachers in a wide range of countries whoare teaching in different types of schools and colleges.
The guide describes:
• what graded readers are, and the contribution they make to speedy and enjoyablelanguage learning
• how to use a class reader
• activities which can be used with a class reader
• how to set up a class library
• using graded readers as a basis for communicative activities
• using audio cassettes of graded readers
• activities for holiday reading
The guide also includes the following templates for teachers to photocopy and use with theirlearners:
• a vocabulary record sheet
• a reading diary
• a lesson plan
• a class library chart
• a book review sheet
• role play cards
• a beautifully illustrated board game, which can be used with any reader
Published and distributed by Pearson Education
9 780582 400061
ISBN 0-582-40006-6www.penguinreaders.com
Thebestchoice of
Graded Readers
Thebestchoice of
Graded Readers
www.penguinreaders.com
Penguin Longman PublishingPearson EducationEdinburgh GateHarlowEssex CM20 2JE UK
All rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers, with the sole exception ofthose pages marked ‘photocopiable’, which may be photocopied by teachers for classes they teach.
Published by Pearson Education Ltd. in association with Penguin Books Ltd., both companies being subsidiaries of Pearson plc.
ISBN 0 582 400066
Teacher’s Resource MaterialsThe following additional free teacher’s resource materials are available for use with Penguin Readers:
Penguin Readers FactsheetsPenguin Readers Factsheets have been developed for teachers using Penguin Readers with their class. Each Factsheet is basedon one Reader, and consists of:• a summary of the book• interesting information about the novel and novelist, including a section on the background and themes of the novel• a selection of lively supplementary activities for use with the reader in class
Factsheets are available for all titles in Penguin Readers at levels 2 to 6.
Penguin Readers Teacher’s GuidesThis is one of six teacher’s guides, containing photocopiable material and teacher’s notes relating to themes derived from theReaders themselves or from common teaching situations.
Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guide to Using Film and TVISBN 0 582 40008 2
Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guide to Preparing for FCEISBN 0 582 40010 4
Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guide to Using BestsellersISBN 0 582 46900 7
NB: Penguin Readers Factsheets are photocopiable.
For a full list of Readers published in the Penguin Readers series please visit http://plrcatalogue.pearson.comFor copies of the Penguin Readers catalogue, please contact your local Pearson Education office or:
A1 What is a graded reader?A2 Unsimplified texts and graded readersA3 Why do teachers use Penguin Readers?
B How Do Graded Readers Help Learners? 5
B1 Intensive and extensive reading?B2 Silent reading or reading aloud
C Choosing Books 7
C1 Choosing the correct reading levelC2 Choosing the booksC3 Types of graded readersC4 Using readers for examinations
D Using Readers with your Students 8
D1 The class readerD2 Reading ringsD3 The class libraryD4 Holiday readingPhotocopiable Section 9
Vocabulary record sheetReading diaryLesson planBoard gameClass library chartBook review sheetRole play cards
E Activities 19
E1 Before you read activitiesE2 While reading activitiesE3 After reading activities
F Audio Cassettes/CDs 23
G Graded Reading as Part of Assessment 24
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A INTRODUCTIONComprehension, in all its forms, is now widelyrecognised as a key process in acquiring language.Learners who read widely achieve greater fluency inEnglish, and gain confidence and pleasure in learningthe language. Regular reading builds vocabulary andalso benefits both comprehension and production ofgrammar.
A1 WHAT IS A GRADED READER?A graded reader is a book written in simple languagewhich has been controlled to fit precise linguisticcriteria. In the past, graded readers were usuallysimplified versions of literary classics. Today, PenguinReaders include original novels, short stories,biographies, plays, film scripts, humour, histories, travelbooks, sports stories, and a wide range of both fictionand non-fiction.
Penguin Readers are graded in seven levels; fromEasystarts (using 200 headwords) to Level 6 (using3000 headwords). All Penguin Readers are written foradolescent and adult learners.
A1.2 How are readers graded?Andy Hopkins and Joc Potter, the General Editors of thePenguin Readers series have produced guidelines foreach of the seven grading levels. The guidelines for eachgrading level are based on the language which a learnerat that level is likely to have studied in class or be ableto understand from the context and illustrations.
Grading systems try to create a bridge between thelearner and the text:
LEARNER TEXT
A good grading system is based on a goodunderstanding of the learner and the language he or shecan understand.
Learners of English are introduced to the languagethrough a graded syllabus of grammar, vocabulary,topics and situations. Although every textbook isdifferent, they all follow the same basic sequence.Simple grammatical patterns are introduced before morecomplex patterns. Learners start by learning to talkabout the present time and later to talk about past andfuture events. Learners learn to talk about frequent
everyday situations before they learn to talk aboutabstract ideas. High frequency words are taught beforelow frequency words. So, for example, the noun countrycan be used at Level 1 but the less frequent word nationis not used until Level 3. An abstract word like courageis not used until Level 5.
The General Editors have used many resources todevelop the guidelines:
* The British National Corpus (BNC) of 100 millionwords of written and spoken English.
* The 2,000 word Longman Defining Vocabulary (whichis used in all Longman Dictionaries).
* The Council of Europe inventories for the CommonEuropean Framework for Education.
* An analysis of vocabulary and grammar taught inmodern, widely-used textbooks.
Authors of ‘original’ Penguin Readers and simplifiers ofclassic texts use these guidelines when writing thegraded reader.
There are less obvious but equally important factors ingrading a text. The amount of information in gradedreaders is controlled to compensate for the difficultylearners have in absorbing information in a foreignlanguage. This means, for example, that the narrativetechnique of the text is kept simple, references tocultural background are explained, complex sub-plotsare avoided. Another factor is the use of photos andillustrations, sometimes with captions, to support thetext. The position of these illustrations in relation to thetext as well as the clarity of design of the book can domuch to aid comprehension.
In these ways, learners have an experience of readingwhich is close to their experience of extensive reading intheir mother tongue - without constant reference to adictionary or the frequent need to re-read certainpassages in order to understand them.
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Are you looking for reading books for youngerchildren? Look at Penguin Young Readers at four
different language levels and three differentformats for different age groups.PENGUIN YOUNG READERS
PENGUIN READERS GRADING OF LANGUAGE
EASYSTARTS 200 headwordsNOUNS Singular forms and plural forms with s
Common irregular plural formsPossessive form (’s)Transparent compounds
PRONOUNS Personal, subject and direct objectDemonstrative: this, that(also as determiners)Interrogative: Who? What?It (+ be) in impersonal expressions
DETERMINERS Articles: a, an, the or zero + noun (phrase)Cardinal numbers (also as pronouns): 1 - 100Ordinal numbers (for dates): 1st - 31stPossessivesQuantifiers: some, anyDistributives: every, all + noun
ADJECTIVES Simple adjectives (attributive and predicative)
VERBS Parts of be, have, have got;There is/arePositive imperative formsPositive, negative and question formsShort answersPresent simple (except negative questions)Present continuous with present meaning
(except negative questions)can for ability and permission; Let’s...
ADVERBS Some adverbs of frequency, place and timeAdjective +lyInterrogatives: Where? When? Why?;How (much/many)?Intensifier : veryAdditive: too
CONJUNCTIONS and, but, or to join words, phrases, clauses
SENTENCES Simple one-clause sentencesTwo clauses joined with and, but or orDirect speech + noun/pronoun + say/ask
LEVEL 1 300 headwordsAs previous level plus
NOUNS Possessive form (s’)Gerunds for activities and pastimes
PRONOUNS As indirect objectsPossessiveDemonstrative: these, those(also determiners)Interrogative: Which? (also determiner)
DETERMINERS Cardinal numbers (also as pronouns): 101 - 1,000Demonstrative: these, those(also pronouns)Quantifiers: a little, a lot of, much, manyInterrogative Which...? (also pronoun)
VERBS There was/wereNegative imperative formsPresent continuous with future meaningPast simple of listed regular verbsIrregular past forms: came/did/had/said/was/were/wentgoing to for prediction and intentioncan for possibilitywould like + noun phrase-ing forms after like, stopInfinitive forms after want, start, like
CONJUNCTIONS becauseSENTENCES Two clauses joined with because
anywhere, everywhereCONJUNCTIONS so, before, after, whenSENTENCES Two clauses joined with so, before,
after, whenDirect speech + subject/verb inversionReported speech with present tense
reporting verbknow, think, hope etc + that clause
LEVEL 3 1200 headwordsAs previous level plus
PRONOUNS Indefinite: someone, anyone, everyoneInterrogative: Whose? (also as determiner)one/onesReflexive (but not for emphasis)Relative: who, which, that
DETERMINERS the + adjectiveAll cardinal and ordinal numbersPredeterminers: allRelative: whoseDistributives: both, either, neithera meaning per
ADJECTIVES Intensifiers: much, a bit, a lotAdjective + to
VERBS Present perfect simplePast continuousPassive forms: present and past forms
of be + past participleis/was/has been able tocan’t to deny possibilitycould for requests and suggestionsmust for obligationshall for suggestions, plans, offersneed (to)/needn’t for necessityshould (positive only) for advicewould for desires, preferencesto + infinitive after what/where etcInfinitives after permitted verbs and
adjectives, with too/enough/very, after
indefinite pronouns/adverbs, infinitive of purpose
Question tags: positive tag following negative statement and vice versa
Common phrasal verbs with non-transparent meanings
ADVERBS Comparative: -er/-est, more/most+ adverb
SENTENCES Sentences with more than two main clauses
Sentences with one main and one subordinate clause
Zero and first conditionalDefining relative clauses (but not embedded)Clauses with wh wordsClauses ending in so, notReported speech with to + infinitiveParticiple clausesAdjectives/nouns + that clause
LEVEL 4 1700 headwordsAs previous level plus
PRONOUNS Indefinite: no oneRelative: whoseReflexive, for emphasisReciprocal: each otherPronoun + of, to, adjective,
relative clauseDETERMINERS Predeterminer: suchADJECTIVES Intensifiers: nearly as, just as, not quite as
Comparative/superlative with less/leastAdjective + enough
VERBS Simple passive verb forms (except modal perfects)
Present and past continuous passive verb forms
Present simple for future referencePresent perfect continuousPast perfecthave something donemake/let + infinitiveused towas/were going tohad better for advice or desirabilitymay/might for possibilitymust for deduced factsshould/ought to for advice, duty, desirabilitywould for hypothetical situationsQuestion tags: positive tag following
positive statementCONJUNCTIONS as well asSENTENCES Complex sentences where the relations
between clauses are uncomplicatedNon-defining relative clausesSecond conditionalif clauses after verbs of asking,
wondering etcReported speech with past tense
reporting verbs
LEVEL 5 2300 headwordsAs previous level plus
VERBS Past perfect continuousFuture continuousget something donemay for permissionwould for willingness/refusal
CONJUNCTIONS as soon asSENTENCES Relative clauses: embedded, defining
Responses with so/neither/norThird conditional
LEVEL 6 3000 headwordsAs previous level plus
PRONOUNS Reciprocal: one anotherVERBS Future perfect
Modal perfectsmight for a suggested course of actionmust have/can’t have for assumptionsshould (have) for expectationwill (have) for assumptionswould for habitual past actions
SENTENCES Mixed conditionalsInversion after hardly, no sooner etc-ing/wh- clause as subjectSentences with wish +
were/would/had
• These language guidelines represent a rigorousgrading system unique to Penguin Readers
• Vocabulary lists are drawn from a range ofsignificant English language databases, inparticular the Longman Corpus Networkwhich includes the British National Corpus
• Grammar guidelines are based on the latestCouncil of Europe specifications and themost popular Longman coursebooks
LEVEL 6 C1 (Effective OperationalProficiency)
LEVEL 5 B2 (Vantage)
LEVEL 4 B1 (Threshold)
LEVEL 3 A2 (Waystage)
LEVEL 2 A2 (Waystage)
LEVEL 1 A1 (Breakthrough)
EASYSTARTS A1 (Breakthrough)
CommonEuropean Framework
America but in all the continents of the world, TheEarthquake [Penguin Readers Level 2].
Most readers contain a single story or topic, but manyteachers and learners also enjoy collections of shorterstories or non-fiction books written as a series ofshorter articles. Shorter stories or articles can providemore instant gratification for learners who find itdifficult to concentrate on a longer story.
Good examples are Stranger than Fiction [PenguinReaders Level 2], a collection of strange and bizarrestories from around the world which many peoplebelieve are true, and The Book of Heroic Failures[Penguin Readers Level 3], an amusing collection oftrue stories about unsuccessful attempts to do greatthings.
Plays are written to be both read and performed.Penguin Readers include several plays or collections ofsketches which learners may enjoy reading and laterperforming. Six Sketches [Penguin Readers Level 1]contains amusing short scenes which learners enjoyreading and acting. Romeo And Juliet [PenguinReaders Level 3] presents William Shakespeare’sclassic tragedy in a simplified play format. Macbeth[Penguin Readers Level 4] is presented in the sameway. Five One-Act Plays [Penguin Readers Level 3] isby Donn Byrne, a leading ELT writer and practitioner.Striker [Penguin Readers Level 3] is a legal drama setin the world of professional football.
Although most of the readers at lower levels areintended for the young or young-in-heart, there are alsobooks for adults such as Bill Gates’ Business @ TheSpeed of Thought [Penguin Readers Level 6],Management Gurus [Penguin Readers Level 4] as wellas classics of world literature such as Anna Karenina[Penguin Readers Level 6] or The Remains of the Day[Penguin Readers Level 6].
Graded readers today are of such variety and qualitythat more and more teachers are keen to use them. Thequestion is always how? The purpose of this book is tooffer practical advice and suggestions for includingreading in language programmes.
B HOW DO GRADED READERSHELP LEARNERS?Graded readers help learners in three ways - firstly byproviding language practice, secondly by givinglanguage extension and thirdly (and perhaps mostimportantly) by giving learners psychologicalencouragement.
Language practice takes the form of reading andunderstanding the meaning of known or partially-knownlanguage. Each time the learner reads and understandsa word, the learner’s knowledge and understanding ofthat word is reinforced and extended. Each time thelearner reads and understands a structure, the learner’sknowledge and understanding of that structure isreinforced and extended. A learner who is reading agraded reader is not just enjoying a story but alsopractising both vocabulary and structure.
Graded readers also provide a limited amount oflanguage extension. Because of the grading process,learners should not encounter too many new words ornew structures when reading. However, in every gradedreader, the learner is likely to meet some unknownwords. The meaning of these words is normally madeclear through the use of illustrations or language withinthe text. In Penguin Readers, vocabulary outside theword list for a level is introduced andpractised through regular Before YouRead activities at the back of thebook. Learners reading gradedreaders may also beintroduced to structureswhich they are not yet ableto use, yet can understandin their written form.
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A2 UNSIMPLIFIED TEXTS AND GRADEDREADERS
Learners of English find it difficult to understandunsimplified texts because:
• There are too many unknown words in the text.
• There are grammatical structures which the learnerdoes not understand.
• There are unexplained cultural references.
Teachers who use unsimplified texts with their studentsin class know the amount of work which needs to bedone, the explanations given, the references tomonolingual and bilingual dictionaries, before studentscan gain a reasonable understanding of the text.
Graded readers are primarily designed for private,unassisted reading by learners. The grading processattempts to reduce the vocabulary, grammatical andcultural difficulty of the text so that the learner can (witha little effort) understand enough of the meaning toenjoy the text.
How do authors feel abouthaving their work simplified?
Kazuo Ishiguro, the author ofRemains of the Day [PenguinReaders Level 6] said :
A3 WHY DO TEACHERS USE PENGUINREADERS?Teachers choose Penguin Readers because they knowthey can find a very wide range of novels, short stories,films, biographies, plays, true life stories and non-fictiontopics. Teachers appreciate the reliable grading systemranging from Easystarts (200 headwords) to Level 6(3000 headwords).
Teachers also value all the teaching help they get with
Penguin Readers. This teaching help includes:
• An introduction to each book providing backgroundand information about the author.
• Activities at the back of each book with BeforeReading, While Reading and After Reading activities.
• Free Factsheets about each reader fromwww.penguinreaders.com which provide furtherbackground information about the book and theauthor, further activities Before Reading, WhileReading and After Reading.
• Free Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guides providingdifferent ideas for exploitation.
The Introduction in each book provides the backgroundto the story and author. Activities at the back of eachbook include Before You Read and After You Readactivities for each chapter, section or group chapters inthe book. From the www.penguinreaders.com website,teachers can download a Factsheet about each readerwhich includes a summary, information about theauthor, background and themes of the story, and furthercomprehension and communicative activities.
Penguin Readers Factsheets are ready for you tophotocopy and use with your students.
Penguin Readers are high-interest readers. There areshortened and simplified versions of novels,Washington Square [Penguin Readers Level 2] andshort stories from classical and contemporary literatureand the latest films. Love Actually [Penguin ReadersLevel 4], biographies of famous people, including popstars, Jennifer Lopez [Penguin Readers Level 1], filmand sports stars, David Beckham [Penguin ReadersLevel 1] and factual books on topics of interest forreaders of all ages, Extreme Sports [Penguin ReadersLevel 2]. There are also many stories created by leadingwriters specifically for the Penguin Readers series.These ‘originals’ are stories set not only in Britain and
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“Nothing is interesting if you can’t understand it.”Michael Lewis and Jimmie Hill
“I feel in general the adaptation has beenachieved with much sensitivity and skill. Iappreciate in particular Chris Rice’s success inmaintaining Stevens’ first-person voice, despitehaving to jettison difficult or arcane diction. As aresult, this simplified version retains a strongsense of a narrative very much inhabited byStevens’ odd personality. The simplified prosereads elegantly, without ever appearing topatronize the reader.”
Many Penguin Readers are also available on audiocassette or CD. This means they can be used forextensive listening comprehension while relaxing ortravelling. If learners listen to the recording whilereading the text, they can greatly increase their eye-reading speed without sacrificing comprehension. (Formore information on increasing eye-reading speed andideas on use, please refer to the Penguin ReadersTeacher’s Guide to Developing Listening Skills.)
Many experts believe that regular reading of gradedtexts in a foreign language also benefits the learner’swriting. Regular reading adds to the ‘bank of language’stored in the learner’s memory, giving the learneraccess to words and phrases which may not have beenstudied in standard lessons. Whilst reading, the learneris also sub-consciously aware of the rhythms andpatterns of the language which can also be transferredin written work.
Many foreign language learners lack confidence. Theyhave a very negative image of themselves as successfulforeign language learners. They fail to learn becausethey do not believe that they are capable of learning.Successful understanding of graded readers at asuitable level can give these learners enormouspsychological encouragement - a sense of achievementwhich is more value than all the new words orstructures which they may learn.
B1 INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE READINGIntensive reading usually takes place in the classroomand is guided by the teacher. Intensive reading usuallyinvolves the use of short, but fairly complex texts.Although the subject matter is usually interesting, theteacher’s purpose in using the text is often related tothe introduction of new language structures, vocabularyor aspects of discourse.
Extensive reading is the term used in English LanguageTeaching for the reading of a wide range of booksprimarily for pleasure. The idea is that learners aremotivated to read because they are reading for thesame reasons as they would in their own language: tolearn more about something they are interested in, toenjoy a good story, to think about the ideas and issuesthe book raises, to increase their general knowledgeand awareness. Learners are reading in a completelydifferent way from the intensive reading of the languageclassroom, when they are looking at the detail oflanguage points and focussing on specific readingskills.
When learners are reading for pleasure they should beas unaware as possible that they are reading in aforeign language. The enormous benefit of extensivereading to learners is that they are acquiring languageas they read, through the high level of exposure to theforeign language which reading brings. The foreignlanguage becomes increasingly familiar to them - sothat they acquire language almost without knowing it.
Teachers often underestimate the learning value ofgraded reading. Maybe this is because the teacher isnot the main focus of attention in graded reading. Or itmay be because graded reading does not focus on justone or two language structures.
People say that swimming exercises all the muscles ofthe body. In the same way, graded reading provides ageneral language workout for the learners. When its fullpotential is exploited it is seen to improve not onlyreading skills but all the other language skills as well.
Dr Stephen Krashen introduced language teachers tothe idea of language acquisition. He describes‘acquisition’ as an unconscious process in which weacquire language by understanding messages. He alsointroduced the idea of the ‘affective filter’ - a type ofbarrier which appears to prevent or restrict acquisitionin formal teaching situations. He said that the ‘affectivefilter’ is least active when we ‘forget’ that the messagewe are receiving is in a foreign language. We are somotivated by the message that the language becomesunimportant. Penguin Readers give learners manyopportunities for real language acquisition.
Graded readers have all sorts of practical benefits: theyare simple to carry around - learners can read them inclass, at home, on a bus or anywhere else they happento be; reading need not take place in limited andprecious class time. Penguin Readers are printed ongood quality paper and well bound, so they are suitablefor use by scores of learners over several years.Teachers have found that once extensive reading hasbeen introduced to a class or school, it isstraightforward to administer. They have also found thatlearners enjoy the reading and make fast progress.
The overriding aim of extensive reading is to developlearners’ language competence and self-confidence.
B2 SILENT READING OR READING ALOUD?In English Language Teaching, when we refer to‘reading’, we are thinking about silent reading for thepurpose of comprehension. We are not thinking about‘reading aloud’ as is done in mother tongue readingclasses.
Listening to the teacher reading aloud is very importantfor the learners’ development of reading skills.Research has demonstrated that, in children, thesuccessful development of reading is determinedlargely by their early, regular experience of listening tosomeone else reading aloud.
Comprehension is often sacrificed because learnersconcentrate on the pronunciation of words rather thanthe meaning. Asking learners to read aloud reducestheir confidence and makes them slower and lessefficient at reading.
Reading aloud also tends to destroy any interest orenjoyment which learners might gain from the stories.
Asking a learner to read aloud while the rest of theclass listens can give rise to the following problems:
• The learner becomes tense and anxious and feels thathe/she is being ‘tested’.
• The learner concentrates on pronunciation rather thanmeaning.
• The rest of the class hears a slow, flat, expressionlessreading and often incorrect pronunciation.
• The rest of the class `listen for mistakes’ rather thanlistening to the story.
You can ask learners to read aloud, but only after theyhave a full and confident comprehension of what theyare reading. We may do this, but only after the learnerhas heard a native speaker or the teacher reading thesame text aloud. We might do this when preparing aplay or short dialogue for performance.
C CHOOSING BOOKSC1 CHOOSING THE CORRECT READINGLEVELLearners will benefit from reading books at any levelwhich they can manage and enjoy. If you look at theGrading Guide on page 3 you can see the structuresand grammatical elements included at each level. Fromthis you can work out the most suitable level of booksfor your students. Remember that in any class there willbe different levels of motivation and ability and so whenchoosing books, it is a good idea to ‘sandwich’ the levelof the class. So if you think your students areapproximately at Level 3, then you should also get afew books at Level 2 and some books at Level 4.
Remember that students:
• Usually ‘comprehend’ at a higher level than they canproduce language.
• Can comprehend at a higher level if they are veryinterested in the story.
• Can comprehend at a higher level if they can bringbackground knowledge of the story or topic (e.g. if theyhave seen the movie or read the book in translation).
Penguin Readers Teacher’s Guide: Placement Tests is afree resource for helping you to select the correct levelof Penguin Readers for your students. Contact yourlocal Pearson Longman Office or visitwww.penguinreaders.com
C2 CHOOSING THE BOOKSChoosing which books to read is tremendouslyimportant. Depending on how reading is administered,the level of graded readers should be suitable either forthe learner’s individual attainment level or for the levelof the class as a whole.
Penguin Readers are carefully and conscientiouslygraded to meet the requirements of all levels of
language competence, and learners can progress fromone level to another as gradually or rapidly as theywish.
The content of the reader is of great importance inmotivating learners, and here it is often sensible toinvolve your classes as much as possible in the processof selection. You might like to give learners aquestionnaire in order to find out their reading interests;you can then be sure that the books which are selectedwill be keenly read.
The Penguin Readers series includes an enormousrange of readers to suit all tastes, and the PenguinReaders catalogue is an invaluable tool to help you andyour learners make the right choice.
C3 TYPES OF GRADED READERSPenguin Readers are developed from different sources:
• Classics - from English and world literature.
• Contemporary - from popular literature for teenagersand adults.
• Major Film and TV titles - books developed from filmand TV scripts1
• Originals - created specifically for Penguin Readers
Penguin Readers include books for different interests:
• Adventure
• Animal Stories
• Autobiography and biography
• Business world
• Crime, Mystery and Spy Thrillers
• Cultural and Social Issues
• Ghost Stories, Horror and Spine Chillers
• Humour
• True life stories from the worlds of Fashion, Science,Sport, Movies and Travel
• Plays - Classic and Original plays
• Romance and Historical Novels
• Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Short Stories
C4 USING READERS FOR EXAMINATIONS2
Some examinations ask students to read, write and talkabout the graded readers they have studied. TheCambridge First Certificate Examination usually selectsa Penguin Reader for students to study. In the Test ofInteractive English, which is popular in Ireland, studentstalk and write about any graded readers they haveenjoyed.
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Reading aloud is ‘reading for performance’. Weread aloud so the listener can comprehend. Weread silently for our own comprehension. Readingaloud is a very difficult skill - even if we have pre-read and understood the text. Learners shouldnever be asked to read an unknown text aloud in aforeign language. They become anxious and arecertain to make mistakes.
D USING READERS WITH YOURSTUDENTSThere are different approaches to using readers:
• The Class Reader - one book to be read by all thestudents in the class in ‘lockstep’ (reading throughthe book at the same speed).
• ‘Reading Rings’ - groups of students work togetherwhile reading the same book.
• Class Library - students borrow books from thelibrary which they read at home.
• Holiday Reading - students maintain the English theylearn at school by reading graded readers and doingactivities at home during their vacations from school.
If you are teaching young immature students, you willprobably want to start by using a single class reader forall the learners in the class. The same would be true ifyou are teaching a class of older students who havenever used graded readers before.
When students are accustomed to using a class reader,you can try ‘reading rings’ with your class. Later, whenstudents are more independent, you can introduce aclass reading library.
D1 THE CLASS READERA class reader is one particular reader chosen for thewhole class to read for a certain length of time. Werecommend setting a time limit on the use of any onereader. It is not fair on learners to spin out a classreader over a whole school year. It will destroy theirinterest and motivation for more reading. Instead, set atarget of a school term or a few weeks for one book.
Introducing Extensive Reading
The current experience of many teachers of youngteenagers is that their students rarely read extensively intheir mother tongue. They are ‘reluctant readers’ andneed to be trained in the reading habit. Teachers mayhave to introduce their students to the experience andprocedures of extensive reading.
A popular way of introducing learners to extensivereading is for teachers to read aloud from a gradedreader while the learners listen and follow the text intheir own copies of the book. This can make the storieseasy to understand and very enjoyable. The class knowthe teacher’s voice. They are not faced with the task oftrying to pronounce the words (even silently), and themomentum of the teacher’sreading voice prevents themfrom stopping each time theysee an unknown word. Thistechnique also helps toreinforce the sound of English.
Most teachers present the storyas a series of episodes, readingthree or four pages (about 5minutes) at the end of eachlesson. This would mean that,for example, Dino’s Day in
London [Penguin Readers Easystarts] would becompleted in about four lessons.
Introducing a Reader
Always introduce a class reader by talking about thetopic of the book, whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Tryto draw out from learners what they already know aboutthe subject or their expectations of the story. Use thecover and illustrations in the text to speculate about thestory. With beginners and elementary level learners, it isperfectly reasonable to do some of this in their mothertongue.
The cover of Anne of GreenGables [Penguin Readers Level2] shows a young girl swingingon a rope. The rope is hangingfrom a tree. She is in thecountryside and she is happy.If we look at the firstillustration, we learn that thestory is set in Canada. In theother illustrations, we can seefrom the clothes that the storyis not modern. From the
introduction to the book, we learn that Anne is anorphan. The story is about Anne growing up at GreenGables.
Performing and Sharing the Story
Teachers usually have good voices and can read withexpression, so use your voice to perform the story.Read the text in an expressive, dramatic voice whichwill capture the students’ interest. Try to alter yourvoice slightly when reading the spoken words ofdifferent characters because this helps to dramatise thestory. Pause, when you think it is appropriate, tointeract with the students to maintain their interest andcomprehension.
If students have their books open while you are reading,encourage them to follow the text as you read. This canhelp them to increase their eye-reading speed.
Encourage your learners to talk about the book they arereading - their feelings about the story and thecharacters. Encourage your learners to use words andsituations they have encountered in the reading book aspart of their normal lessons.
After reading one or two books aloud, the teacher mayadopt a mixture of different techniques to move theresponsibility for individual silent reading to thestudents.
a) You could read some sections aloud and use thecassette recording in other sections. This can be a verypleasant alternative because it allows the class to heardifferent voices, and often cassettes have interestingsound effects (see page 23). The teacher can also asklearners to re-read the chapter at home after they haveheard it in class.
b) Another technique is to ask learners to read shortsections of a story silently in class. This is goodpreparation for home reading. Some teachers playrecordings of appropriate music while their learners are
Read pages 1, 2 and 3 aloud to the class. Read in a loud clear voice. Let learners ‘follow’ in their books.Do not stop for comprehension problems. Tell learners to understand as much as they can. Elicit answersto the questions. (Answers: 1. Seventeen. 2. Liverpool. 3. To look round the old town.)
reading silently in class. They say that this seems toassist relaxed concentration.
c) The story is introduced by the teacher who readsChapter 1 aloud to the class. The students are told toread Chapter 2 at home. In the next lesson, the teacherdiscusses the events of Chapter 2 eliciting informationand comments from the students. The teacher thenreads Chapter 3 aloud and asks the students to readChapter 4 at home. This procedure is followed until thebook is complete.
Exploiting a Class Reader
Students will acquire a lot of language from the text ofthe book they are reading. We can increase thelanguage benefit and improve the reading experiencewith activities related to the book. Ideas and materialsfor exploiting readers can be found:
• In the back of each graded reader.
• In the factsheet for each graded reader which can bedownloaded from www.penguinreaders.com.
• On pages 9 to 16 of this Teacher’s Guide.
D2 READING RINGSUsing a class reader is a very good way to introducethe whole class to graded reading. After you have‘shared’ two or three books with the class, they will beready to start reading more independently.
‘Reading rings’ are groups of 4-7 students who are allreading the same book. In your class you may haveseveral reading rings, each reading a different book.Reading rings have many advantages over a singleclass reader.
In reading rings:
• Students with different interests can choose thebooks to read together.
• Students become more independent and learn to‘manage’ their reading.
• Stronger students can help weaker students
What happens in a Reading Ring?
A group of girls and boys have just finished readingChapter 3 of Anne of Green Gables [Penguin ReadersLevel 2]. They have been reading at home and now theyare at school in their reading ring. Marco, the bestreader in the group, is the leader. He asks the otherstudents about any words or parts of the story theydidn’t understand. They talk about the word ‘orphan’and look for the translation in a bilingual dictionary.They look at their school atlas and find Nova Scotia andPrince Edward Island. Then they work together onexercises 4 and 5 at the back of the book. Estebanhelps Lucia with the exercises and Paula and Jorgework together.
When they have finished, they share their answers.Esteban thinks 5e (Mrs Blewett isn’t very kind to herchildren) is wrong but the others say it is right. Theyshow him the sentence on page 9 ‘Mrs Blewett had alot of children, but she wasn’t very kind to them.’ The
teacher stops to see the group and checks their work.She asks if the students are enjoying the story and saysthey should read Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 before the next‘reading ring’ lesson two weeks from now.
Some teachers prefer to use the exercises on theFactsheet which they download fromwww.penguinreaders.com because these have morefrequent activities, and students do not have to read somuch text independently between each ‘reading ring’meeting.
When the students in the Anne of Green Gablesreading ring finished the book, they talked to the classabout it. They talked about their favourite bits in thebook and Marco, Paula and Lucia acted out a scenefrom the story. After this, lots more students in theclass wanted to read Anne of Green Gables and a newreading ring was started.
Now Marco and Esteban havejoined a new reading ring whoare reading Men in Black[Penguin Readers Level 2],Lucia and Paula are now in thering which is reading Heidi[Penguin Readers Level 2].During the school year, eachstudent will read four or fivebooks in different readingrings.
D3 THE CLASS LIBRARYA class library is quite simply a box or shelf containinga selection of different readers suitable for the age andlanguage competence of a particular class. The idea isthat the titles selected should all be different. They needto be attractive to people who happen to be in the sameclass but who may have very different interests fromeach other. Some learners will like adventure stories,some romantic stories, some classics, some will wantto read about serious issues and some will want the funof a strip cartoon. The level of all the books should beroughly the same, but as some learners are likely to bemore advanced than others, it is a good idea to caterfor mixed abilities. Learners should be allowed to seefor themselves whether a book is the right level forthem.
As the overriding aim is for fluent, competent reading,where overall meaning and enjoyment count for morethan individual words, it is important that learners arenot discouraged by finding the books too hard oruninteresting.
The same applies to schools wishing to set up a self-access centre, although obviously in this case therewould be a far wider range of books. Books must beclearly arranged and labelled according to age and level,so that learners can choose appropriately.
Choosing books for your Class Library
Remember that in any class there will be a range ofdifferent interests and levels of competence. Rememberalso that the learners will all be at a higher level at theend of the year than they were at the beginning. Mostteachers find that in any school year the range of books
Role play for two characters. Learners have read up to the end of the entry for Tuesday, 22 December 1942.
in the library should cover at leastthree different levels.
Some learners will always want tochoose the easiest books. Allowthem to do this initially butencourage them to be a little moreadventurous when they come tochoose their second or third book.
A good guide to selecting a book at thecorrect level can be produced byreproducing about twenty lines from thetext and blanking out (with correction fluid) everyseventh word. If learners feel they can understand thistext, then they should be able to read the book.
Remember that learners can always read at a higherlevel if they are interested in the topic. If they havesome background knowledge, for example if they haveseen the film of the book, they will find it easier toguess the meanings of any difficult passages.
Funding your Class Library
Although a single book is relatively inexpensive, youmay not have the money to buy 30 or more books foryour class library. A good way to collect suitable booksis to ask the students to ‘donate’ a book to the library.With you local Longman distributor, organise a displayof Penguin Readers at the appropriate levels in a localbook shop. Then write to the parents of your learnersexplaining the importance of graded reading in Englishinvite them to donate one or two books to the libraryand explain where the books can be selected andpurchased. Perhaps you can design a sticker to put inside the book which will say who donated thebook, e.g.
The advantage of donated books is that you can be surethey reflect the interests of your students because theyhave been selected by the students.
Another approach is to ask a local bank or business tosponsor the class Library.
Organisation of the Library
You will need:
1. A selection of books. There should be one and a halftimes as many books in the library as there are learnersin the class. This way you are providing enough choice,while keeping the size of the library easily manageable.
2. A box or shelf to store the books
3. A class library record chart (see page 14)
A class library record chart provides you with a recordof which books your students have read from the classlibrary. The chart should list the names of the learners
in the class, and the titles of the books in the classlibrary. The dates on which a book is borrowed andreturned should be recorded by each learner. Byglancing at these dates, you can get a idea of how fastyour learners are reading.
It is also a good idea for the learner to indicate by asimple code method whether they enjoyed book a lot, alittle or not very much. This might be just a spot madewith a coloured pen (red = excellent, green = OK, blue =not good) or an A, B or C.
Note: For a photocopiable Class Library Chart, see thecentre section of this guide. This can be enlarged andprinted on to an A3 sheet of paper. For large classes orlarger libraries, use two charts.
By using a chart like this, the teacher can administer thelibrary successfully and also see at a glance whichbooks have been popular and how each learner isprogressing. Learners can readily see what books theirfriends have chosen and whether they recommend aparticular title, and in this way are guided towardspopular books. It will also help you when you arepurchasing your next selection of books.
If a school has one self-access centre for the wholeschool, a different chart could be used for each class orlevel within the school.
Administering the Class Library
When the class library is first introduced the teachershould administrate the library for a month or so. Veryquickly, the teacher should train some students to be‘assistant librarians’. After a short time, the studentscan take over all the day-to-day work of administration.
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This copy of The Count of Monte Cristowas donated to the class library by
Valentin Vladimirov, a student at thisschool in 2004.
POSSIBLE RULES FOR THE LIBRARY
• The library is ‘open’ for borrowing or returning books atfixed times every week of the school term. This could beduring lesson time, or, if it can be organised during breaktime or lunch time.
• Borrowers must not write or draw pictures in the librarybooks. They should use bookmarks and not turn downthe corner of the page to mark where they finish reading.
• If a borrower damages or loses a book, they mustreplace the book with another copy of the same title oranother book at the same level.
• Students who borrow a book are not obliged to completethe reading of the book but they should return the bookto the library as soon as they decide not to complete it.
• Students should read and write a report or completesome activities on SIX different books during the schoolyear. (This may include ‘holiday reading’ see below.)
Monitoring the Students’ Reading
Some teachers worry that their students might beborrowing books from the library but not actuallyreading them. Teachers can adopt different techniquesfor monitoring their students’ reading.
Reading Cards
Some teachers have files of ‘reading cards’ - exercisesand tasks from the factsheets which they download fromwww.penguinreaders.com and mount on to cards. Asstudents borrow a book they take the ‘reading card’ forthe same book and complete the activities while they arereading.
Book Reviews
Some teachers ask students to prepare a review of thebook. (see photocopiable review sheet in centre pages)
Book Spot
Some teachers have a regular ‘book spot’ during theirlessons during which they ask students about the booksthey are reading.
If students are doing activities on reading cards, writingbook reviews or presenting books in ‘book spots’, thiswork should be included in their language portfolio. (seepage 24)
Teaching Students to Choose Books
Part of the process of growing up involves learning tomake choices. When the teacher is using a class reader,the teacher has usually chosen the book. When studentsstart using a class library, they need to learn how tochoose the books they will read. Students need to learnhow to find out about a book before they read it.
D4 HOLIDAY READING
A teacher once joked...
The long school holidays are a welcome opportunity forteachers to relax, but our students often forget a lot ofthe English they have learnt during school lessons. Ifyou ask your students to read one or two gradedreaders during their holidays, they retain more of theEnglish they have learnt
Teachers should recognise that the school holidays arealso a time for the students to relax, so don’t ask themto read books which are too difficult for them. Somestudents may be able to get help from their parents orother members of the family, but many may not.
Holiday Listening
Most students have a cassette player at home, so theholidays are a good time for holiday listening. Therecording might be the same book that the students arereading but it could also be a different book.
E ACTIVITIESE1 BEFORE YOU READ ACTIVITIESBefore you read activities are designed to introduce thetopic and setting of the reader. We often encouragestudents to speculate on events in the story or ideas inthe text. Usually, when we pick up a book, we havesome questions in our minds which we hope the bookwill answer. Before you read activities help to motivatethe students and stimulate these questions.
Good reading often means comparing ‘what you know’with what you read. Before you read activities are partlydesigned to encourage students to think about ‘whatthey know’ before they start reading.
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HOW TO CHOOSE A BOOK
• Look at the picture on the front of the book. Does itseem interesting?
• Look at the pictures inside the book. Does the story lookexciting? Does the topic look interesting?
• Look at the name of the author. Have you read anotherbook by that author in English or in translation?
• Is the book based on a film or TV programme you haveenjoyed? (It is easier to understand if you have seen thefilm.)
• Look at the level of the book. Have you enjoyed books atthis level before?
• Read the description on the back of the book? Do youwant to find out more?
• Open the book and read a few paragraphs. Can youunderstand it?
• Have your friends read this book? Talk to them. Did theyenjoy it?
“What are the three best things about being ateacher?”
“June, July and August!”
E1.1 What do you know about Tom Cruise? Tick thecorrect statements.a] Tom Cruise is American.
b] He acted in the filmBraveheart.
c] He was in the film Rain Man.
d] He has never been married.
e] He has won an Oscar.
E1.2 Photocopy illustrationsfrom a story book and put them on to cards. Askstudents to try to put the cards in sequence and thinkabout the story.
E1.3 Photocopy the illustrations from the book. Cut outthe faces of the main characters. Give students a list ofthe character’s names. Can they match the names to thepictures?
E1.3 Look at the pictures inGulliver’s Travels.
a] Is it a true story?
b] Is it an adventure story or alove story?
c] Is it an old story or a modernstory?
d] What are the people like inLilliput?
e] Is Gulliver a good man or a bad man?
E1.4 Do you remember thefilm Rain Man?
a] Is it an adventure film?
b] Which country is it set in?
c] What is the film about?
d] Was it an interesting film?
e] Do you think you willunderstand the story in thebook?
f] Do you think you will learn more about the story?
E1.5 Make a list of the chapter titles in the book. Writethe titles on the board in any order. Invite the studentsto think about the sequence of chapters in the story.
E1.6 Look at the cover of theRoad Ahead. Think about thetilte.
a] What is Bill Gates famous for?
b] Is the book about Bill Gates’early life?
c] Is the book about travelling?
d] Is the book about the future?
E1.7 Look at these words. Which words are used ineach book? Which words are used in both books?
goal corner iceberg
captain sailor dinner
team ship win
crash passenger rich
E2 WHILE READING ACTIVITIESWhile reading activities are mainly concerned withcomprehension of the text - not testing comprehensionbecause this would spoil the enjoyment of reading - butconfirming comprehension of the story so far. Whilereading, students are sometimes worried that they havenot fully understood the story, or they have forgottenhow the plot has developed. While reading activities helpthe students to feel comfortable as they make progressthrough the book.Another type of while reading activity encouragesstudents to examine their emotional reaction to thestory, characters or ideas contained in the text. This typeof activity is popular when students have reachedintermediate level.
E2.1 Interviews. After studentshave read the biography of BradPitt, students can roleplay aninterview with the star, talkingabout his life and movies. You canalso have similar interviews in theform of on-line chat or a series ofemails. This can lead to amagazine report of the interview.E2.2 It is not only living peoplewho can be interviewed. Gandhi, Leonardo da Vinci,Jane Eyre, the captain of the Titanic and Oliver Twist cando these roleplay interviews. Any student who reads abook becomes a minor ‘expert’ on the content andbecomes a suitable interview guest.
E2.3 Texts in graded readers are simplified to yourstudents’ language level. This makes extracts suitablefor exploitation such as the many techniques describedin Short and Sweet by Alan Maley [Penguin]. Onefavourite involves the reconstruction of a corrupted text,like this version of Chapter 3 ‘The Weather’ from How ToBe an Alien by George Mikes. [Penguin Readers Level3]. Which two letters have been removed from the text?Can you write it again putting these letters back?
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Chpte 3 The Wethe
This is the most impotnt subject in the lnd. InEuope, people sy, ‘He is the type of peson who tlksbout the wethe,’ to show somebody is vey boing. InEnglnd, the wethe is lwys n inteesting, excitingsubject nd you must be good t tlking bout it.
E2.4 When students have read part of a book, you canreinforce their comprehension by giving them a series ofstatements and asking them to put the statements in thecorrect sequence. This example comes from A Scandalin Bohemia [Penguin Readers Level 3]:
a] An important man comes to visit Sherlock Holmesand Dr Watson.
b] Dr Watson throws a smoke bomb into the room.
c] Sherlock Holmes steals the photograph.
d] He tells them about Irene Adler.
e] Sherlock Holmes starts a fight outside IreneAdler’s house.
E2.5 Packing a suitcase. Afterreading a historical story such asBraveheart, ask the students todiscuss what they would pack in asuitcase if they were going on a twoweek visit to this setting. IfBraveheart has invited you, it wouldbe polite to take him a gift. What areyou going to take?
E2.6 Correcting the summary. When students arereading a book, give them a summary of the story so farwhich contains factual mistakes. As the students correctthe mistakes, they will reinforce their comprehension ofthe story. This example comes from Peter and the Wolf[Penguin Young Readers Level 3]
Peter lives in the town with his grandfather. Hisgrandfather tells Peter not to play in the meadowbecause a lion lives in the forest. Peter goes intothe meadow with the duck, the bird and the dog.The wolf comes out of the house and eats the dog.
E2.7 A reading diary. Students can start to make areading diary in which they describe the books they readduring a year. The diary can contain pictures, summariesof the books, personal reactions, interesting informationand vocabulary learnt from the text, author informationand so on. This introduces students to the academicpractice of reading and note-making.
E2.8 Who says this? Another way to review a story sofar is to take lines of spoken language from the differentcharacters and ask who says this? These examplescome from Chapter 1 of Anne of Green Gables [PenguinReaders Level 2].
a. “We’re getting a little boy from the orphanage inNova Scotia. He’s coming on the train this afternoon.”
b. “I’m from the orphanage. Mrs Spencer brought mehere.”
c. “This is a girl, not a boy.”
d. “I’d like a beautiful white dress. I never had a prettydress.”
e. “I don’t want an orphan girl.”
E2.9 Using a map. In many stories characters movefrom one location to another. Sometimes we can helpstudents to understand and follow the plot by tracingevents on a map. For example, students reading TheThirty-nine Steps [Penguin Readers Level 3] know thatthe story starts in London, moves to Scotland and thenreturns to London.
E2.10 Family tree. Many books tell stories aboutfamilies. Sometimes it can help students to follow thestory if they draw a family tree and write in the names ofthe characters. It is an easy way to remember therelationships between the different people.
E2.11 Letters. Many stories contain references tocorrespondence. Students can write these letters. Howdid Hugo Baskerville write to Sherlock Holmes?
E3 AFTER READING ACTIVITIESAfter reading activities are used to extend the students’understanding of the topic, characters, setting orhistorical period of the book. After reading activities canalso include communicative language activities whichgrow out of events, characters or themes in the reader.E3.1 Horoscopes. People say that the time when youare born influences your character. They say that peopleborn under the sign of Taurus are very different frompeople born under the sign of Scorpio. Authors don’tusually tell us when their characters were born but yourstudents can speculate!
E3.2 Mini-books. Younger students can produceillustrated mini-books which retell the stories of theirfavourite books. Later, children can create their ownstories as illustrated mini-books. See page 9 of PenguinYoung Readers Teacher’s Guide to Using Stories in Class.
E3.3 Dramatisation. Many books contain stories andscenes which are highly suitable for dramatisation.Students can adapt the narrative in play form andproduce stage performances, or puppet plays.
E3.4 Why I don’t like this book! Encourage students totalk and write about books, TV programmes and filmswhich they dislike. It is important togive students both the liberty andthe language to comment negatively.
E3.5 Who was Mrs Danvers? InRebecca [Penguin Readers Level 5]Daphne du Maurier describes MrsDanvers, the strange woman wholooked after the first Mrs De Winter
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and now looks after the narrator. If she is Mrs Danversshe must have, or have had a husband. What do youthink he was like?
E3.6 Asking questions. In the Penguin ReadersTeacher’s Guide to Preparing for FCE, Carolyn Walkersuggests a list of questions a magazine reporter mightask:
What is your favourite colour?
What is the worst thing you have ever done?
Who would make your ideal marriage partner?
Who would you like to play you in the film of your life?
Do you have any regrets?
If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
Imagine Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Eliza Doolittle,Forrest Gump, Macbeth, and David Beckham answeringthose questions.
E3.7 Make a radio play. Most students have a cassetterecorder at home. As a project during a short schoolholiday, invite your students to make a radio play fromtheir favourite book. They can act the differentcharacters and add exciting music and sound effects.Later they can put the recording in their languageportfolio. (See page 24)
E3.8 Write a newspaper story.
After reading Jane Eyre [PenguinReaders Level 3 and Level 5]students can write newspaper storieswhich might have appeared. Forexample, how did the localnewspaper report the fire atThornfield which blinded MrRochester?
E3.8 Let’s put on a show! Students in your class canlearn, practice and perform short sketches or scenesfrom longer plays. Let them show their plays to otherclasses in the school. In this way, many students will getthe learning benefit. For most learners, the play shouldbe at the same level as their course book. A play is alldialogue and will provide lots of practice and repetitionin a natural and motivating context.Beginners and elementary levellearners should be given sketchesand short one-act plays. Leave longerplays for advanced classes.
If you have an audio cassette of thesketch or play, start by playingthrough the sketch, or a scene fromthe play, with learners’ books closed.
The idea is for learners to get the general idea of what isgoing on and to let the stress and intonation patternsmake a first impression on them. Ask generalcomprehension questions to see if they have caught the‘gist’ of what is happening.
Now let learners open their books and read while thecassette is played again.
The next step is to ask learners to read aloud, correctingpronunciation only where absolutely necessary.Following this, suggest that they learn a role ashomework. When the class next meets, ask forvolunteers (do not force!) to act out the scene at thefront of the class.
An alternative, especially if there is no room formovement at the front of the class, is to ‘broadcast’ theplay. This can be done quite realistically by putting up a‘microphone’ (try using a rolled-up newspaper orcardboard tube) into which they all speak; if a large castis needed, two tables and two ‘microphones’ can beused. There are several advantages to broadcasting asketch over acting it out. Although some rehearsal isadvisable to familiarise the ‘actors’ with what they haveto say and how to say it, learners can use their books asscripts just as radio actors do, preparing them duringrehearsals by marking in pencil the stress, intonation,pauses, etc. Shy learners will usually find this easierthan acting in front of their classmates and they shouldall be encouraged to enter into the spirit of thebroadcast by laughing, getting angry, and so on asrequired.
With a longer play, you may like to give a summary ofthe play, its setting and main characters before youbegin reading. A follow-up exercise could be for differentgroups in the class to prepare their own programmenotes for the play, such as you buy when you go to thetheatre.
Ideally, a play should be acted with movement, and ifsufficient space is available there will usually be enoughlearners who want to learn the words and act the play.Different groups of learners can prepare the same sceneand have a little competition, which will encourage theshy ones to take part in order to help their group. Thosewho do not wish to act can do other things. It is mostimportant to give everyone something to do. Someonecan direct the actors; others can prepare the ‘stage’ andbe responsible for the props; a prompter will be needed.Others can be newspaper reviewers and of course, thereis always the need for an audience!
E3.9 Board Games. Board games provide an amusingway for learners to recall key characters, places, eventsand language from a book they have read in class. Aready-made board game can be found on the centrepages of this guide. This can be photocopied and usedwith any reader, either after reading part of the book orafter reading the whole book.
In order to play the game, you will need to prepare somequestion cards. Write approximately six questions aboutcharacters, six questions about places, six questionsabout events and six questions about key language.
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MAD WIFE FOUND IN ATTICMr Rochester’s secret
by our correspondent
Each question should be written on a card. The cardscould be different colours: blue for characters, red forplaces, green for events and yellow for language.
Each card should contain instructions to move forwardfor a correct answer and to move back for an incorrector zero answer. You might like to grade the questions asfollows:
Before you play the game you will also need to get somecounters or coins, and a dice or numbered spinner. Onelearner in the group will be the controller and will keepthe question cards, moving each to the bottom of thepile as it is used.
E3.10 Project work. After your students have readabout their favourite star – David Beckham, LeonardoDiCaprio, Michael Jordan, Jennifer Lopez or RickyMartin, encourage them to collect their favourite picturesfrom magazines and make a nice display for theclassroom. They can write about why they like the starand about important things that have happened in theirlives.
E3.11 Time for a snack! What kind of snack do yourstudents like? Think about the characters in the readingbooks. What sort of snacks would they like to eat? DoesKing Arthur like bananas? No, he doesn’t because hehas never seen a banana! What about Heidi? Does shelike Swiss chocolate? And what does Robin Hood eatwhen he is not fighting?
F AUDIO CASSETTES/CDsMany graded readers have an accompanying audiocassette of the text. The Penguin Readers series, forexample, includes a selection of Penguin Audio Readers,which are packs comprising a reader and a cassette orCD. These packs are perfect for self-access centres andschool libraries, as well as for teachers to use in class.
Readers should be enjoyed, and a cassette or CD canadd greatly to learners’ enjoyment of them. Cassettesbring the story to life, often adding interesting andatmospheric sound effects as well as helpingpronunciation. It is obviously important that learners canhear the cassette clearly, and it is useful for a teacher to
have a pause button on the machine for easy control ofthe cassette. Some teachers use graded reader cassettesas a serial story in the language laboratory.
BOOKS OPEN OR BOOKS CLOSED?Some new research by Dr Patrick Charles Kennell atFlorida State University1 suggests that if students listento the cassette and follow the text in their book, they willincrease their ‘eye-reading’ speed, even when they arenot using the cassette. Dr Kennell’s research suggeststhat since the voice of the actor reading on the cassettemoves through the text faster than students normally‘eye-read’, the students are ‘carried through the text, bythe actor’s voice.
If you want your students to learn to read faster, getthem to read for about five minutes every day whilelistening to the cassette.
Listening without Reading
Listening to cassettes without reading is also very usefulfor students. They hear the sound of the native speakervoice and get to know the sounds and rhythms of thelanguage. Some learners like to listen to stories onheadsets when they are travelling on long bus journeys.Others like listening to a story before they go to sleep.It is sometimes easier to become part of the story if youlisten with your eyes closed. It is easier to make picturesin your head, when you have no visual distraction.
Using the Cassette as a Storyteller
A cassette can simply be used in the traditional way, asthe storyteller: learners listen and follow in their books.This is suitable for a class with a teacher or for anindividual learner without a teacher. It is important thatthe section which is being listened to is not too long andalthough the teacher may like to ask one or two generalquestions or explain any obviously difficult vocabulary, itis important that the flow should be largelyuninterrupted and no detailed questions asked.
If learners are doing a play reading, it is particularlyvaluable for them to hear a cassette of the play or sketchbefore they read, although the teacher must bear inmind the length of the scene or section. Listening toplays or sketches can be excellent preparation for theacting out of the play. If learners are reading small andrelatively simple parts in a play or sketch, it might bepossible for them to memorise their parts from thecassette reading.
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Questions Correct Incorrect
Easy 3 sq. forward 5 sq. back
Medium 4 sq. forward 3 sq. back
Difficult 5 sq. forward 2 sq. back
1 The Effect of Simultaneously Reading and Listening to Audiotapes of Expanded and Compressed Spoken Text on the Reading Rate of English as aSecond Language Student 2002.
Although readers which are already written in the formof sketches and plays are obviously most suitable forrole playing and acting, other stories with plenty ofdialogue can be adapted and used for a similar purpose.
G GRADED READING AS PARTOF ASSESSMENTPORTFOLIOSIn some countries, teachers are adopting the idea of the‘portfolio’. The portfolio is used to keep a record of thework the student has done during the school year. Theportfolio is graded and the grade is part of the overallassessment of the student’s work during the year.
Graded reading represents an important part of thestudent’s language achievement during the school yearand so it is logical that it should be part of the student’sportfolio.
If, for example, the student starts the school year readingat Level 2 and finishes the year reading at Level 3 or Level4, this should be noted and recorded in the portfolio.
GRADED READERS IN YOUR OWN SCHOOLEXMINATIONSIf you believe in the importance of extensive reading ofgraded readers, why not make graded reading part ofyour school examinations?
Students see school examinations as a statement ofwhat is important in their lessons. If your students knowthat in their examination there is going to be a questionabout graded reading, they will be motivated to read andstudy more.
You can do this in different ways:
a] You can study one book in detail with all the studentsin the class and then ask questions about the book. At asimple level, these can be comprehension questionsabout the book, but it would be better to ask thestudents to write about their personal response to thebook. This can either be a fairly formal ‘book review’ orit could be an informal letter to a friend telling the friendabout the book. (See the Penguin Readers Teacher’sGuide to Preparing for FCE for ideas about differentkinds of examination questions).
b] An alternative approach, a more general questionmight appear in the written examination or you can askstudents to talk about a book they have read in the oral.In the Test of Interactive English (see below), a pair ofstudents at approximately the same level talk to eachother about the books they have read, what they haveenjoyed, what they didn’t like, the parts they founddifficult and so on.
GRADED READERS IN FCEEach year UCLES prescribes a list of books whichstudents can study as part of their preparation for theFCE [First Certificate in English] Examination.
Students study the text and have the chance to writeabout it in Paper 2 (Writing Paper).
This has two advantages; firstly, the students areinvolved in some extensive reading as part of theirpreparation for the examination and secondly, becausethe students can go into the examination confident thatthey can perform well in one of the questions.
CRITICAL READINGThe FCE examiners want to see evidence of criticalreading in the responses written by the candidates. Theyare not just reproducing facts about events in the book,but articulating a personal response to the text. Criticalreading can begin at any level as students talk aboutevents and characters in the very simple books.
Teachers may need to train students to have the‘freedom to feel’ about a story they read. They willcertainly need some training and help in expressing theirfeelings in a coherent way.
Students may be learning ‘critical reading skills’ in theirmother tongue literature classes and these skills can betransferred to the English class.
The book reviews which students might prepare afterreading a book would be a good opportunity fornurturing these critical reading skills. Once again, thesebook reviews can form an important part of thestudent’s language portfolio.
For further information and extra activities to use whenpreparing students for FCE, see Carolyn Walker’sPenguin Readers Teacher’s Guide to Preparing for FCE.
GRADED READERS IN THE TEST OFINTERACTIVE ENGLISHThe Test of Interactive English [TIE] which is recognisedby the Irish Government’s Department of Education andScience asks candidates to read ‘a book in English’. Itcould be a graded reader, a guidebook, manual orreference book: “What is important is that the book hasbeen chosen by the candidate to reflect their interestsand needs.” The book forms part of the portfolio whichthe candidate must bring to the examination.
For more information about the TIE, log on towww.iol.ie/~acels
