Reading Strategies to use with ESL Completers now in Adult Basic Education Classes

Thanks for the following submission from Annette Barker of Waubonsee College for sharing her great approach to teaching reading! Annette is a current participant in the northern group of the Special Learning Needs Institute.

"I usually read the passage to the students first or have an audio of the author or another person reading it. The point is for students to hear the passage being read correctly. While I, or some other audio, reads to the students, I have them highlight words they are not sure about and underline the words that are difficult to pronounce. When I’m finished reading, we go over the vocabulary words the students marked in the passage. Students then read the passage with a partner taking turns reading the paragraphs. During pair reading, if possible, I try to not have ESL students pair with readers with the same native language. Without student awareness, I also try to pair a weak reader with a stronger reader. When students have finished reading with their partner, I again ask if there were any words they struggled with. Following reading, I immerse the students into studying the passage for meaning. I ask comprehension questions of the students, have students tell me the gist/point/main idea of the story, make inferences, and talk about the author’s approach to his/her writing. I also try to ask discussion questions that generate a reaction to the passage response."