Engaging Activities to Improve Reading Comprehension

Alejandra LejwaRocío Rodríguez del Río

Hutchison SchoolMemphis, TN

This presentation is available at:https://lejwa.wikispaces.com/

TFLTA 2008 Annual Conference

Franklin, TN.

Suggestions

• Start working on reading skills at beginning levels.

• Approach reading as a communicative activity.

• Provide activities for different learning styles.

• Be creative and meaningful!

The Place for Reading

• In programs focused on oral proficiency, there is little space for working on reading skills

• Students at intermediate or advanced levels of oral proficiency will need reading skills to continue their study of the foreign language

• In those instances in which reading is taught there is a tendency to frame reading activities in passive or individual contexts

Challenges for the Students• Time to work on reading• Insufficient vocabulary or poor dictionary skills• Tendency to translate the whole text• Difficulty reading beyond the text• Difficulty retaining• Difficulty connecting

with other work• Lack of knowledge

of world history

Understanding the Act of Reading

Bolero de Ravel

Understanding the Act of Reading

Pre-reading preparation guides

Reading

Making it

enjoyable

quick

productive

Avoiding

frustration loss of confidence in language skills

Pleasure Reading

Finding a reading partner– Small group reading– Whole class reading– Community reading

Creating a reading space- Corner or center of the classroom- Going outside- Beach chairs, pillows, and bean bags- Lie down on the grass or floor- Change sitting arrangements- Bringing food

Other- Reading out loud- Acting out scenes- Becoming a character

Pre-reading and

Post-reading Activities

Selecting Goals

• Understand vocabulary

• Stimulate background knowledge

• Increase cultural and historical knowledge

• Promote understanding

• Make connections

• Reflect on concepts, ideas, images, etc.

• Retain and use newly acquired vocabulary

Cultural content and history

Examples:

– Los Sanfermines– La Tomatina– Cuba – Alhambra

Videos

Videos

Connections to movies for deeper understanding

- Comparing characters

“La viuda de Montiel” short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Official Story (movie by Luis Puenzo and Aída Bortnik)

- Comparing themes

“El laberinto del Fauno” (movie by Guillermo del Toro) and poem “El beso de los dragones” by Wilfredo Machado.

Anticipation / reflection

to promote understanding

Quino and “Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes” by Gabriel García Márquez

Comics

Comics

Anticipation / reflection

to promote understanding

Quino and “Cartas de amor traicionado” by Isabel Allende

Pictures

Connection with characters

– Pictures of Quijote by different artists at different times

Pictures

Connection with places

– Pictures of different environments

Horacio Quiroga and pictures of rain forest

Isabel Allende and pictures of the dessert

Videos

Connections to commercials Focus on meaning

Example:

“El arbol de oro”,short story by Ana Maria Matute, and Aerolíneas Argentinas commercial

PaintingsComparing concepts

Understanding charactersUnderstanding historical background

Understanding literary movements

Examples:

Comparing the art of Botero with Picasso, Goya, El Greco, Orozco, Rivera, etc.

“Las meninas” de Velazquez and the Baroque“El nacimiento de Venus” by Botticelli and the Renaissance Poetry

Pictures

Historic and cultural background

– “Miré los muros de la patria mía”

Pictures

Historic and cultural background

- Romances

Art - Scrapbooking

• Summarizing stories• Retaining characters’ descriptions

Examples:

Creating a scrapbook about all stories read throughout the semester / year.

Designing a poster for each story.

Art – Drawing / Crafts• Emotional connections with characters• Understanding characters and their situations• General understanding

Examples:

Making the stick doll (“La rama seca” by A. M. Matute)

Drawing “Pipa” and the pretty doll (“La rama seca” by A. M. Matute)

Drawing a modern Chac Mool after reading the short story “Chac Mool” by Carlos Fuentes.Making paper flowers and “papel picado” for Day of the Dead

Songs Anticipation / Reflection

to promote understanding

– “El hijo del capitán trueno” by Miguel Bose and “El difícil arte de ser macho” by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez

Songs

Making connections with other contexts Retaining vocabulary

Example:“Carta de amor” by Juan Luis Guerra and “Cartas de amor traicionado” by Isabel Allende.

Songs Historic and cultural background information

– Literary Movements – Surrealism

“Eungenio Salvador Dalí” by Mecano

– Story “Los mejores calzados” by Luisa Valenzuela and song “Solo le pido a Dios” by Leon Gieco

Creative Writing• Comparative learning• Applied knowledge of cultural and historical information• Emotional connection with text• Vocabulary retention and use

Examples:

Letter to author, character, or artist.

Comparing stories by same author. “La rama seca” – “El arbol de oro” (Ana María Matute)

Comparing stories with same or opposite topic / characters / ambience. “El avión de la Bella Durmiente” – “El décimo”“Las medias rojas” – “Dos palabras” La tomatina – “Oda al tomate”

Creating poems and songs.

Other TextsComparative learning and discussion

Applied knowledge of cultural and historical information

Examples:

Newspaper articles (Botero)

Other stories by same author “La rama seca” – “El arbol de oro” (Ana María Matute)

Other stories with same or opposite topic / characters / ambience “El avión de la Bella Durmiente” – “El décimo”“El árbol de oro” – “La rama seca” – “La luz es como el agua”“Las medias rojas” – “Dos palabras”La tomatina – “Oda al tomate” (poem by Pablo Neruda_

Reading

Guided Reading

• Breaking text into sections– Activating background knowledge to understand vocabulary– Answer comprehension questions on the go– Community reading

• Drawing characters and places– Draw according to descriptions

• Creating scene– Make a collage or act out a part

• Picturing the environment– Look at art or pictures to identify described environment

Questions and Collaboration

This presentation is available at:

https://lejwa.wikispaces.com/

Presenters

Alejandra Lejwa, MAUpper School Spanish InstructorWorld Language Department ChairHutchison Schoolalejwa@hutchisonschool.org

Rocio Rodriguez del Rio. Ph.D.Upper School Spanish InstructorHutchison Schoolrrodriguezdelrio@hutchisonschool.org