Teaching Method - Reading Approach 2
Teaching Method - Reading Approach 2
Teaching Method - Reading Approach 2
Introduction to Didactics
A Brief History
Reading Approach was first developed for English learners in India and French or
German learners in the United States of America who did not have the time to
master the active or oral use of the language. It has also been advocated in
England for pupils of inferior language-learning ability. Reading Approach is like
GTM (Grammar Translation Method) since it's also stressed on written skills. Only
the grammar necessary for reading comprehension and fluency is taught. But, it
was a flexible approach as far as the teaching is concerned.
Language Theory
The theory establishes that the Reading Approach is a way to start teaching
beginning readers. Also, it is based on the cognitive theory originally
conceptualized by Albert Bandura.
Learning Theory
Learning and the level of understanding is built through reading comprehension. A
useful teaching strategy is Round Robin reading following an order.
Objectives
The objectives of the Reading Approach are focused on the students' abilities to
identify meaning rather than letters or words, to understand and read a text quickly
and to read actively.
Syllabus
The syllabus should be based on the development of the reading skill. The teacher
needs to know how to make students to learn the ability to comprehend what they
read.
Types of Teaching and Learning Activities
Skimming
It is an specific speed-reading technique, which enables to cover a vast amount of
material very quickly. The purpose of skimming is getting only the main ideas and a
general overview of the content while rapidly moving the eyes over a text. This
technique is useful when the students are seeking specific information rather than
reading for comprehension.
Reading-Skimming is most often used for quickly reading material that, for
any reasons, does not need more detailed attention.
Scanning
It is another specific speed-reading technique, which consists of quickly reading a
text to get the gist of it. Scanning is a technique that its often used when looking up
a specific fact or piece of information. The students search for key words or ideas.
Scanning involves moving eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and
phrases.
When scanning, the students look for the authors use of organizers such as
numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. They look for words
that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. Sometimes the
author will put key ideas in the margin.
Extensive reading
Extensive reading is reading a longer text, usually for pleasure. Extensive reading is
an approach to language learning, including foreign language learning, by the
means of a large amount of reading. The students view and review of unknown
words in specific context will allow the student to infer the words meaning, and
thus to learn unknown words. While the mechanism is commonly accepted as true,
its importance in language learning is disputed. We can consider extensive reading
as private reading in width at a pace suited to the individuals ability, taste, and
mood. Extensive Reading is the free reading of books and other written material
that is not too difficult nor too easy! Extensive Reading is sometimes called Free
Voluntary Reading.
Why use it? ESL students always want to learn more words, acquire more
grammatical structures and be better readers and writers. Doing extensive reading
will help students with all of the above, along with motivating them to enjoy
reading and learning independently.
Intensive reading
Word study. The students follow the leading teacher. Word study fosters
recognition of the individual sounds of words and an understanding of the
alphabetic principle and its application to reading and spelling. Activities
involve phonemic awareness, phonics, structural analysis, and the development
of sight vocabulary.
At prekindergarten level: largely oral activities fostering phonemic awareness.
At kindergarten level and above: phonics, structural analysis, and sight
vocabulary.
Materials: core program, trade books, charts, environmental print.
Choice: usually teachers choice.
Grouping format: whole group or small group.
Purposes:
To provide systematic, focused instruction at the word level.
To provide additional support for students who need it.
Teacher's Role
Teacher should create situations in which learners are most suggestible and then to
present linguistic material in a way most likely to encourage positive reception and
retention by learners.
Motivating learners
Procedure
The students/readers decode each word in a text and automatically comprehend
the meaning of the words, as they do with their everyday spoken language. There
are specific comprehension strategies that some teachers are now using in the
classroom.
As it is only focused on the written skill, this approach lacks depth on the
speaking skill.
CONCLUSION
In this approach, students focus on identifying meaning, understanding a text
quickly and reading actively. It is a known fact that no approach or method is
perfect, so the Reading Approach has weaknesses and benefits like any other
teaching technique. But, it is important to notice that reading is a key factor for any
language learner. By using the Reading Approach, students will be able to
understand many sorts of texts and to choose an appropriate way of reading them
based on their purpose.