Wanna know what this strategy for reading ESL students love is? Because this one is tried and true in my own classroom! I spend some time at the beginning of each school year getting everyone on one page, but then we are off. My students love the time they get for reading during my lessons and it’s all because of a couple of things I do to ensure things go according to plan.
I must confess, I love reading! And I want my students to love reading too, which is hard sometimes, I have to admit. It seems kids don’t read anymore these days, not at home at least, and not so much at school either. But reading is super good for improving all language skills, so I need my students to engage in reading. Plus, reading transports you to new world where you can meet new friends, and who doesn’t want that? So I came up with a way to win students over for reading! And it all starts with personalizing their bookmarks! Check my free ones out here!
Reading activities ESL students will love
So how do you make students love the reading they will do for you? There are a few things you have to do to set up reading before students even get to the first page of a book. Here they are:
- Choose the right book
- Choose the right level
- Give time to spend reading and set the rules
- Give them the right to stop when it’s not fun
- No exercises about it
Choosing the right book
At the start of the year I pay a visit to the school’s library. Students may choose any book they like. I tell them to choose a topic they are interested in and won’t get bored reading about. They can choose a long book or a short one, number of pages-wise. For some students it’s scary to be reading a book that’s super thick, so I don’t want them to do that, even if they’re good at reading. Or they just don’t like a story to take that long.
And then there is a choice for or against pictures. Some books have pictures or drawings in them to help the story, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and many students like that. Or students can choose to read a comic book or graphic novel. if that is what floats their boat. It has to be their own choice.
Choosing the level of reading esl students can handle
When we are choosing our books, I tell students to choose a book that’s not too easy and not too hard either. They must pick out a book and read the first page. Are there more than 5 words on that page that they don’t know? Then the book is too hard, and they must choose another one. Are there no words they find hard? Then the book is too easy. A few words unknown is just right, and therefore would be the right level for the students to read.
Give time to read and set the rules
Once every student has chosen their book, we keep them in a safe spot in the classroom. We leave them there always, so that they can’t forget to bring them to school. (note: if a student really wants to continue reading at home, I will let them take it home of course) I get each student to create a bookmark with their name on it that they stick into the book. This is part of the fun too, and each student will customize their own bookmark. You can find a set of free ones via this link! And then every time we read, I get one student to pass out all the books.
The first time we read, I set the rules. I will always tell them how long they have – 5, 10, or 15 minutes. And the first time we read, we will only do 5 minutes to start with. I tell students they must try to keep reading the whole time. They must not distract others, and try not to get distracted themselves. I want everyone to be all in. This often means that I myself will also be reading a book. This shows students that I also love what we’re doing.
The right to stop when it’s not fun
If a student has been reading a book for a bit but they don’t really like it, they always have the right to go choose a new book. The same goes for the level of difficulty. As I said, reading must be fun, so if it’s not fun or if it’s too difficult, the student must change that.
No exercises
Again, reading should be fun, so there should not be WORK attached to it. I do try to get my students to talk about their books to one another, because it helps them understand what they read. In addition, talking about it in English is a fun way of using the target language. And sometimes I will ask them to write a short summary in their journals, but that’s also only a practice moment to write in the target language.
Reading comprehension ESL students need help with
Now, reading in a new language can be hard. Students might have trouble with vocabulary they don’t understand. Teach them the following strategy to find out the meaning of words. First, they must guess the meaning of the word they don’t know by reading the sentences around the word. If they still don’t know, they should use a dictionary to find out the meaning. After finding the translation, they must make sure they can explain the new word in their own words (preferably in the target language).
Students should write summaries of the story or give them orally at certain moments. It’s not necessary to do this often, but if will help them understand what they read better. They should also be encouraged to connect the story they’re reading to other stories they have read or watched in movies before in their first language. The same goes for character connections. This will help students create links between what they already know and what they are learning through reading.
How to make reading with ESL students fun and light
Keep the books in one place in the classroom. Give students time to read. I recommend 15-minute chunks to read, as often as you can. Make sure everyone is reading during that time. You don’t want students to distract others or themselves during this time. Don’t give any exercises about the reading, because that will make it seem like work, and it shouldn’t be that. Make sure students choose a fun book that is the right level for the individual student, and keep an eye on their choices. Make recommendations for changes if necessary.
And that’s it! That’s how you start reading for fun with your ESL students! I hope you’ll give it a try! If you have any questions, please reach out and ask away! The easiest way to do that is below this post, or on Instagram.
If you need any inspiration for casual ways to talk about the books your students read, check out my resource that is a PowerPoint full of them, here.
One Response