TEACHING:READING-gain scores

Welcome Reading Class,
Reading comprehension is a problem, always.Most students tend to be inactive. If the materials are too easy, they are not motivated. If they are rather hard, they will stop reading and feel discouraged. If we choose "medium level" materials...the smart students feel that they have no such challenge to read dan comprehend the materials.The method? Most reading classes will tend to use that common technique....I know....that's our problem.

But then I did it....
I have combined some tecniques that we have already been familiar with, ...I chose some stories/passages.
I split the class into some groups. Each group was responsible for certain passages. Well, you guess...They had to read and comprehend the passages.

The next step was, of course, they had to present some points of the passages the discussed on:such as the main idea and this one which was interesting-- the most interesting part that they loved/the part that had made the passage funny, interesting, exciting, or even....boring....anything! as long as that 'special part" was needed to share with..

After that, they invited comments and questions from other groups.
In case, I were worried about certain groups's competence in comprehending their passages, I allowed 2 or even 3 other groups to discuss the same passage(s) (it depends on our class' competence)

When I did it....I could let the group to have any help from other groups with the same passage(s) when they weren't able to counter the comments or reply the questions...What's my job?Of course....I was the moderator...but not talk too much.

However, I let them to keep the discussion running.....or even STOP it?????And ....take their scores!!The idea is.....If you keep the discussion running, pupils, and keep talking....you'll get scores. If, the discussion stops....(no questions/comments/replies)...no scores for everyone... (wow! I just knew later on, that my words on that affected the class much, oh thanks God)

You must think...it was very very hard, reading and speaking (discussion) at the same time?
And how to let the students keep the discussion running by themselves?

Here are the rules:
1. everybody should speak out! You'll gain scores for that, and....of course no score, if you just keep silent.
2. your english should not be perfect, cause the stress of the activity is on reading comprehension, not the speaking competence. They even may speak in their first language for certain cases (we decided it together before the discussion started)
3. everybody may speak out, even for the simplest thing.....such as asking "what's the meaning of this word", "what does it refer to?"......so for such simple questions, they will be more confident in speaking simple English.

You may disagree with this technique before you try it, but let me tell you the result of that activity:
1. the class was lively
2. students were competitive
3. 90% , even more, students SPEAK OUT!
4. they were proud of gaining scores, comprehending the passages, being able to ask questions and of course.....answering their classmates' questions--correctly
5. here is the most unbelivable part.......most of them said (shouted, actually).......aaaaaaaa(dissapointedly) when I said...."okay class, I'm sorry....time is up."....or..."let's do this again next time-- from now on, we have to stop"
6. for me.....as the teacher????? wow! I just can't believe...that actually I've got such wonderful class--although most of the students inside, are not really good in English!!! I'm proud of them more and more...I appreciate their attempt to learn English more and more....and that makes me MOTIVATED more and more to do my best to make my classess lively, exciting, motivating, gaining "something" when the class is over.....and of course give better and better score to students who have shown their improvement in their performance and attempt!
I love being a teacher....such thing is a happy and satisfying moment of being a teacher.


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