&  Pre-Reading Interview Activity:    top

Instructions:   Interview two classmates and record their answers. After the interview, there will be a class discussion to share your findings. 

 

Classmate’s Name:
 

Classmate’s Name: 

1.  What is the meaning of the word “avid”?  Would you consider yourself to be an ‘avid’ reader?   Why or why not?      [This question requires more than a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer.]  

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Did your parents read to you as a child?    [and if applicable]  Do/Did you read to your children?

 

 

 

 

 

3.  In your opinion, what is the best way to teach a child how to read? 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  What do you think is the most effective way to help an adult ESL student improve his/her reading comprehension? 

 

 

 

 

5.  Is the ability to read more or less important today than it was 50 years ago?  

 

 

 

 

$  Reading/Writing Exercise     top

Instructions:    Read the following text and complete the comprehension questions that follow.

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be -
I had a mother who read to me.
~Strickland Gillilan (1869-1954)

Despite the many differences between cultures, children around the globe all share one valuable attribute:  an almost infinite capacity of both imagination and curiosity. As a parent, one of the best ways to feed this insatiable appetite is to introduce your child to the world of books.  In fact, this may be one of the best investments of both time and energy that you will ever make because the potential rewards are incalculable.  Relying exclusively on the education system to teach children to read may lead to an unfortunate circumstance:  children who associate reading with ‘work’ rather than with ‘pleasure’.  Fostering a love of books and reading in your children is the cornerstone to building not only a successful academic life but also a rewarding professional life. 

A beautiful Chinese proverb states that:  “A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.”   We as parents can unlock the door to this garden by sharing our love of books with our children.  Most educators would agree that the most effective way you can teach a child to love books is to have him/her see the parents reading on a regular basis.  Furthermore, by reading aloud to a child, you spend precious time together and the child witnesses the magic words jumping off the pages.  It’s never too early to begin this process as even an infant can listen to the intonation in your voice, look at the fascinating pictures, and help turn the pages of the book.  This can be a special time to bond with your child without the interruptions of modern life such as the telephone and the television.  This is also an occasion to introduce your child to stories which were meaningful from your childhood, or simply to share a famous tale from your native culture. 

            Although as adults we take many of the concepts associated with reading for granted, it is important to remember that a child is just embarking on this journey of discovery. Here are a few things you as a parent can do to help your child overcome part of the mystery of the written word.  First, there is a difference between words and pictures.  After you finish reading a page, pause and involve your child in describing what is contained in the pictures.  Second, words on a page contain meaning and that is our primary motivation for reading.  Next, there is a logical placement of words on a page.  Thus, as you are reading, follow with your finger from left to right to help your child assimilate this concept.  Finally, point out to the nascent reader that every letter has two forms:  one for capital letters and one for small letters.   

            While your children are still small, it’s an ideal time to start building a home library for them even if it’s just a dozen books or so.  Consider purchasing durable books that young hands can manipulate without you worrying about a valuable book being damaged.  Remember that allowing a child to touch, smell and at times taste books will help your child develop an attachment to books and reading in general.  Try to establish a set time every day when you can sit together and enjoy some quality time with books.  Don’t be discouraged if your audience becomes distracted; it is critical that this be an enjoyable activity not a daily chore.  With a toddler, you may be required to reread the same story over and over again but that is just proof that your time is starting to pay off and his/her interest is growing.  Last but not least, don’t stop reading aloud once your children are able to read for themselves.  At this stage, you should encourage the child to read part of the text to you and thus, the child becomes empowered as (s)he has unlocked the mystery of the written word.  In the words of Charles W. Eliot, a famous educator and past president of Harvard University, “books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

1.  The phrase “in fact” (in paragraph one) is used to:   
(a) introduce an example   (b) provide a contradiction   (c) emphasize a point   (d) pose a question

2.  The word “cornerstone” (in paragraph two) is closest in meaning to:  
(a) basis (b) discipline (c) question (d) cement

3.  The word “embarking” (in paragraph three) is a: 
(a) noun (b) verb (c) adjective (d) adverb

4.  Based on the context of this passage, the adjective “nascent” most probably means: 
(a) a confused reader (b) a competent reader (c) an incompetent reader (d) a budding reader

5.  The phrase “pay off” (in paragraph four) means:   ______________________________________

6.  All of the following statements are correct EXCEPT:  
(a) If a child sees a parent read, the child may also want to read. 
(b) Reading should be a pleasurable rather than a tortuous experience. 
(c) Charles W. Eliot was the president of a distinguished American University. 
(d)  Fostering a love of books and reading in your children will create an obstacle to not only a successful academic life but also a rewarding professional life. 

7.  According to the article, what are some strategies we should use to teach a child how to read?  
[Write your answers in point form.]

 

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

 

8.  In your opinion, who should assume the greatest responsibility in teaching a child to read:  a parent or a teacher?  Provide specific reasons to support your opinion.  [Write your answer in sentence format.]

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

$    Vocabulary Development Exercise     top

Instructions:   Complete the following chart which will help you review the vocabulary from the reading passage above.

Vocabulary Word

Word Form

Synonym

Antonym

Your sentence

insatiable

adj

voracious

satisfied

Children have an almost insatiable appetite for games which stimulate their imagination.

potential

adj/n

 

 

 

 

foster

verb

 

 

 

 

precious

adj

 

 

 

 

native

adj/n

 

 

 

 

overcome

verb

 

 

 

 

pause

verb/n

 

 

 

 

logical

adj

 

 

 

 

assimilate

verb

 

 

 

 

durable

adj/n

 

 

 

 

distracted

adj

 

 

 

 

patient

adj

 

 

 

 

 

C    Word Search:     top

Unlocking the World of Words

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Word List:    assimilate   attribute   cornerstone   curiosity   distracted   durable   embarking  foster   logical   manipulate   nascent    native   overcome   patient    pause   potential   precious
 

 

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