Activities for Group Guided Reading Learning new vocabulary: Choose words that are key to understanding the story which may be unfamiliar to the learners. Do not choose too many. These words can be used to prompt learners to practise dictionary work. Comprehension: Comprehension has to be developed from the very beginning. The teacher can teach learners to monitor their own understanding of a text. Here are the steps for learners to
follow: • When the text does not make sense, stop and re-read the sentence or paragraph.
• Try to link the problem sentence to what you have already read.
• Ask yourself what you already know about the topic. Think what the sentence could mean.
• Read on, and check whether what you read now makes sense.
• Check the meaning of words by using contextual clues, a dictionary or ask for help.
Ways of developing comprehension: • Activate the reader’s prior
knowledge: Learners should be encouraged to activate prior knowledge for themselves.
• Help learners to use clues and illustrations in and around the text: These clues include what is written on the cover, the paragraph or chapter headings, sub-headings and words in bold, the contents page and the index. Draw attention to the illustrations, photographs, tables, graphs and cartoons that may appear on the page. These are usually very important to help the reader make meaning.
• Read aloud to learners: All effective independent readers use their knowledge of the language and their own understanding of the world to make meaning from texts. Teachers should build up this knowledge. Reading aloud to learners, and then discussing the meaning, learners’ impressions, having them guess ahead, are all good ways of doing this.
• Develop the reader’s decoding skills: Learners need to decode unfamiliar or difficult words because most new texts contain new words. Encourage learners to sound out just the beginning part of the word to see if a familiar word springs to mind.
Reading strategies There are key reading strategies that can be used to assist learners in reading for meaning: Reading strategy What this strategy means Skim and scan
How to use this strategy
Skimming is reading quickly to get the general idea of the whole text. Scanning is reading quickly but carefully to locate specific information using key words.
Read for specific information
Reading only certain sections to find particular information.
Use prior knowledge Making connections between what you already know and the new information that you are reading.
Clarify
Checking that you have understood what you have read.
Classify and organise Sorting and organising information to help you understand it better.
When you are skimming, look out for key words and small bits of information to give you clues. When you are scanning, quickly look over a passage that you have already read, focussing on finding key words or specific information.
Follow instructions carefully to help you select the specific information you need.
While you are reading, or once you have finished for the first time, ask yourself questions to help you remember what you already know about this topic. Then use this information to help make sense of the new information.
Ask questions. Ask yourself, your friend, your parents or your teacher. Look up words you don’t know in a dictionary and re- read the passage until you understand it.
Look for key words and use them to put information that belongs together into groups, tables or mind maps.
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