Reading & Book Club with English Language Learners

Ali Cullerton, Ph.D. & Magister Ines Torres de Muñoz

www.bncloja.org

Reading for FUN?

Mostly students learn to read or read to learn.

Reading for fun looks different

throughout the world.

Less often, students read “just for fun.”

What do we NEED to know?

• Before we get started:

• Definition of literacy?

• The needs, interests, and language levels of English language learners?

• Access to text?

• Motivation?

• Timeline?

Defining literacy…

Social CulturalOral

Language

History Reading Writing

Multimodal Listening Evolving

“New & Multi-Modal Literacies”

Smart Phones

Tablets

Computers

Audio Books

Social Media

Needs Based Analysis/Survey• Survey your Students: (On a scale from 1-10, with 1= not at all,

5=somewhat accurate, 10=very accurate)

• 1. I read for fun every week.

• 2. I can define my favorite type of literature.

• 3. I have a favorite book.

• 4. I have a favorite author.

• 5. I enjoy reading.

• 6. I do no enjoy reading.

• 7. I have access to books for free.

• 8. My parents and family members enjoy reading.

• 9. I talk to others about my favorite books.

• 10. I am open to reading new things.

Talk to your students• Be clear about YOUR goal. Is it to raise levels, get

kids excited about reading, or teach about a new topic?

• Students:

• If you could read about anything or anyone what would it be?

• What is your favorite genre of text?

• How much time could you commit to reading everyday?

• What are your concerns about participating in a book club?

Model a literacy-rich life

Family life

Classroom Library

Internet Diverse Genres

Local Library

Writing

Genres: Fiction, Non Fiction & Informational Texts

Picturebooks, Graphic Novels,

Comics, Wordless Books

Historical texts, Biographies,

Autobiographies, Historical Fiction

Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Scientific Texts,

Natural World, YA novels

Novels, Poetry, Short Stories,

Realistic Fiction, Memoirs

Determine a Timeline & Vision

Is this part of a literacy-based curriculum?

Is this “extra”?

Is this a social club?

Do students get a grade? Scoring tool?

How can you purchase/provide access to these texts?

How much homework will you assign?

Do you re-read as a group? Read alouds?

Age & Developmental Needs

Self-motivation, independent and group

work.

Intermediate learners: Group reading, choral

reading, partner reading, group work and

independent work.

Early learners: Read-alouds, repetition, illustrations, scaffolds, hands-on activities, reading for “different

purposes,” and review.

Successful Strategies with ELLs

Speak slowly, listening centers, read

instructions out loud, low-stakes writing and

reading.

Games, cooperative learning,

think/pair/share, experiential education.

Give examples of successful projects, use

checks for understanding, oral

language tools.

Partner work at mixed levels, groups work, think-pair-shares,

independent work, review.

Outlines, advanced organizer, visual guides,

write key concepts down.

Model new skills and be explicit about

acquisition of langauge.

Let students use native language to support

learning.

Picture glossary, word walls, vocabulary walls,

visual clues.

Repetition, consistent use of terms, allow errors to happen.

http://edutopia-dl-support-strategies-ell.pdf

Motivation

Students Choice

Multicultural Text: Can

students “see themselves” or

relate to the characters?

Comfortable Area to Read

Accessible Text at

Attainable Level

Clear and Realistic

Expectations

Text Difficulty?

• This all depends on the context and your objectives.

• Independent Reading: should be right around your level or below (for struggling readers). For non-struggling readers, independent reading can be higher.

• Mediated Reading: Should be at a higher level (grade level).

What is book club?

• Options: Content Area, Literary-Focused Curricula, Teacher Read Aloud OR Guided Reading.

• Framework:

• Opening Community Share

• Reading Component

• Writing Component

• Discussion Component

• Closing Community Share

* Framework introduced in Book Club Plus text by: Raphael, T. E., Florio-Ruane, S., George, M., Hasty, N. L., & Highfield, K. (2004)

Comprehension

Explicit Modeled Scaffolded

Comprehension Strategies

Background Knowledge

Text-Processing

Monitoring

Writing in Book Club

Writing Objectives in

Book Club

Writing Into Writing Through Writing Out

Raphael, T. E., Florio-Ruane, S., George, M., Hasty, N. L., & Highfield, K. (2004)

Book Club: What’s to Say?

Talk

Surface Knowledge

Text Inquiry

Theme Inquiry

Reflection

Most Importantly: HAVE FUN!

• Share stories.

• Talk about things that are confusing in the text.

• Draw connections (personal, with other texts, with your environment, with the world, etc.).

• Provide support (Before, During and After Reading).

• Allow time to re-visit, re-read, review.

• Does the book have a movie? Have a movie day!

• How are you going to pick your next book?

References

Text:• Raphael, T. E., Florio-Ruane, S., George, M., Hasty, N. L., & Highfield, K.

(2004). Book Club Plus! A Literacy Framework for the Primary Grades.Lawrence, MA: Small Planet Communications, Inc.

• Temple, C., Martinez, M., & Yokota, J. (2011). Children’s Books in Children’s Hands-An Introduction to Their Literature (Fourth ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Online:• http://edutopia-dl-support-strategies-ell.pdf• www.alexiscullerton.com• http://sisaljournal.org/archives/mar11/marland/• http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/success-esl-students• http://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-does-research-tell-us-

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