Homework #1 Should it be done?
Homework #1 Should it be done?
Each chapter of the book would be broken up into 3 sections: 1) very short story composed of high frequency words, but with a literary (I hope) quality and focus on character 2) reading theory and research about how people learn to read 3) activities to use with the story and tied to the research. I think there might be room for a book which brings together EFL/ESL materials, theory/research, and practical activities all in one package.
•Who would read/use my material?
Students would use the stories. Teacher/parents would read the theory sections as well as the activities which they would use with their students/children
•Why? What would they gain from it?
The stories themselves would be useful because they would be EASY TO READ, but not childish. So I hope it would give second language readers a chance to enjoy reading, primarily for meaning. Teachers and parents would read the stories as well. They would also read the theory sections and perhaps have a better idea of the struggles that people go through while reading in a second language and be able to be more supportive. Plus, the research and theory material is pretty interesting, I think. The activities would give teachers and parents a way to interact around the stories, but expectations would be kept realistic because of the theory section.
•What are they currently using or reading instead?
They get these things from separate sources. Graded readers of short stories. Theory from places like "L2 Reading: Getting to the bottom" by Barabara Birch. Activities and lesson plans from places like OneStopEnglish or books of classroom activities.
•Why do I think my material (or idea) is good?
Um...(slight blush), I think the stories are pretty good. I also think I have a lot of classroom experience and experience with reluctant readers to help flesh out the research and theory so it will feel much more 'real' and immediate. But basically, I just think someone sitting down and reading a ten page chapter, closing the book, and having a clearer picture of how people develop as readers, how theory connects to a specific story, and how we can help readers take the next step in their development all in one place is something that teachers, parents, or anyone who loves reading and wants to help someone they care about become a reader would benefit from.
Each chapter of the book would be broken up into 3 sections: 1) very short story composed of high frequency words, but with a literary (I hope) quality and focus on character 2) reading theory and research about how people learn to read 3) activities to use with the story and tied to the research. I think there might be room for a book which brings together EFL/ESL materials, theory/research, and practical activities all in one package.
•Who would read/use my material?
Students would use the stories. Teacher/parents would read the theory sections as well as the activities which they would use with their students/children
•Why? What would they gain from it?
The stories themselves would be useful because they would be EASY TO READ, but not childish. So I hope it would give second language readers a chance to enjoy reading, primarily for meaning. Teachers and parents would read the stories as well. They would also read the theory sections and perhaps have a better idea of the struggles that people go through while reading in a second language and be able to be more supportive. Plus, the research and theory material is pretty interesting, I think. The activities would give teachers and parents a way to interact around the stories, but expectations would be kept realistic because of the theory section.
•What are they currently using or reading instead?
They get these things from separate sources. Graded readers of short stories. Theory from places like "L2 Reading: Getting to the bottom" by Barabara Birch. Activities and lesson plans from places like OneStopEnglish or books of classroom activities.
•Why do I think my material (or idea) is good?
Um...(slight blush), I think the stories are pretty good. I also think I have a lot of classroom experience and experience with reluctant readers to help flesh out the research and theory so it will feel much more 'real' and immediate. But basically, I just think someone sitting down and reading a ten page chapter, closing the book, and having a clearer picture of how people develop as readers, how theory connects to a specific story, and how we can help readers take the next step in their development all in one place is something that teachers, parents, or anyone who loves reading and wants to help someone they care about become a reader would benefit from.
You could even do two versions... one with all the stories, then all the activities at the back. Then one with each story followed by its activities. See which one people like best. Just a thought. You can hotlink from your story to the exercises and back again if you build your own ebook file.
ReplyDeleteYou could link out to audio versions as well – relatively easy to record using something like Audacity on the PC.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! :) The first thing that popped into my head is that you should look at Breaking News English, which has reading (and other skills) that are presented at a variety of levels. So, you could have very easy to easy (it depends on what, exactly, you mean by easy).
ReplyDeleteIn your 'for parents' section, you could also give some tips on how to personalise stories. I did 'story time' classes with elementary school kids for several years, and I would change names, insert students into the story, etc., which — when I did it right — worked to maintain their interest.
Also, if you haven't already, check out "Reseach-based Methods of REading Instruction for ELL's" Grades K-4, by Linan-Thompson and Vaughn.