Authorised TESOL Certificate

Research topicReading is an essential skill that students need in order to be successful in life yet it is a skill that can be rather challenging for learners to master. According to the Denise Eide, the author of Uncovering the Logic of english, “Many students complain english spelling appears inconsistent, especially highly logical children who may grow up to be scientists or mathematicians. By teaching students how english works you will improve their reading abilities and encourage them to read.” In order to motivate students to learn how to read in english, several factors should be taken into consideration. One of the most effective strategies to make reading fruitful is to make it fun. Young minds can be engaged through play, games, art, and motor activities. Just because the students are learning the basic components, does not mean that it should be boring. When teaching reading in english, it is important that all of the sounds in the english language are taught by the teacher. Many letters say more than one sound and it is important that the teacher distinguish the differences. For example, “S” sounds different in the word “sad” than in the word “is.” Many students mangle words because they simply do not know all of the sounds. Students should be showed how letters and groups of letters represent sounds. Practice blending the sounds to form words and repeat these exercises to build stamina in the students’ confidence with english. Also, teach all nine SILENT E rules. Generally, students learn one or two rules but not all of them. They may understand that words such as ripe and game have a silent e. However, they may struggle with the words have and give simply because they do not know all of the “Silent E” rules. These nine rules help students get the better understanding of the language and inhibit students from having to memorize thousands of rules. Another strategy that can be used in reading is to cover pictures. Many young students struggle with the left to right movement of reading. This strategy allows students to look at the pictures than cover them with a blank piece of paper while reading. Covering pictures makes it easier to focus on text. Listening is the other receptive skill that can be difficult for students to learn. Listening is a skill that needs to be taught in the classroom. It also requires participation and it is information –processing activity that is not as simple as it looks. It is an important technique to master because it trains students to remember, select, and process sounds. Listening may be difficult to master because students may be visual learners. However, this skill needs to be taught in the classroom. Listening can be learned through games and activities. These activities are conducted to help students identify sound discrimination, become aware of sounds, understand the recognition of sounds, comprehend the identification of the sounds, and hear sounds concepts. Students can participate in an activity where they close their eyes for one minute and listen to the sounds they hear. One game that can be played is a guessing game. Students will have to guess what food is being eaten. Use noisy foods, like potato chips, celery sticks, carrots, toast, etc. Students have chances to try and identify what food they think is being consumed while their eyes are closed. Another game could be a matching sound game. Fill small identical containers with rice, sand, nails, beans, cotton batting, etc. Make sure you have a pair. Shake them; find the two that sound the same. This allows students to really concentrate on what sounds they hear. Listening and reading are both receptive skills that can be rather challenging in the classroom. However, with the right motivation and stimulation, many techniques can be presented to make them appealing for students to learn.