Theme: Working with texts

CURRICULUM, TASKS, MATERIALS

In this section, I discuss sample activities that offer practice in each of the 10 reading strategies described previously. These are based on findings from my study (Kim, 2005) and ideas from other sources (Christensen, 2000; Harvey & Goudvis, 2000; Keene & Zimmermann, 1997); they can be adapted to different course goals and materials or used with different learners.

Strategy 1: Relating Text to Self

My research shows that this is the most commonly used strategy. Beginning-level ESOL learners in particular connected to their cultural experiences and activated their background knowledge, thus gaining confidence and improving their comprehension (Kim, 2005). Teachers may use this strategy with other learners by incorporating culturally relevant texts.
Task: Think-aloud reading culturally relevant texts. The teacher models ways of relating to cultural and background knowledge as well as prior experiences. While students read the text, they are asked to remember prior experiences and background knowledge in response to questions such as “Does this story remind you of something in your own life? Or of something that has happened to you?” They answer using these prompts: “It reminds me of . . . ,” “I can think of . . . ,”
“I remember . . . ,” and “This sentence reminds of when I was 10 years old ”
Using scaffolding, the teacher first models this activity alone and then models it with a student’s assistance. Then a student models it with the teacher’s assis- tance, and finally a student models it alone.

Strategy 2: Relating Text to Other Texts

My research showed that although beginning-level students tended to avoid this strategy, intermediate- and advanced-level students made good use of it (Kim, 2005). The latter seemed comfortable with a wider variety of genres and text types in which they identified with the fictional characters and life situations.
Task: Comparing different texts based on the same story. For beginning-level students, teachers could use several versions of the same story. For example, they could compare several national versions of the Cinderella story, such as Mei Ping and the Silver Shoes (the Chinese version; Wade, 1985), Estrellita de Oro/Little Gold Star (the Spanish-language version; Hayes, 2000), The Korean Cinderella (Climo, 1993), and Cinderella: A Pop-Up Fairy Tale (the U.S. version; Reinhart, 2005). At first, students read their own culture’s version of the story and then versions from other cultures. They compare the stories by focusing on specific fea- tures (e.g., plots, characteristics, settings) using a Venn diagram or another visual
Working With Texts to Develop ESOL Reading Strategies

organizer. While developing connections among texts, they can comprehend the stories better.

Intermediate- and advanced-level students could try connecting main ideas and themes across texts. They could read Eve Bunting’s picture books (e.g., Smoky Night, 1994b; The Wall, 1990; A Day’s Work, 1994a; Fly Away Home, 1991) to relate these texts and to understand the characters and the problems depicted in them. They could also compare characters, events, themes, and issues from these stories and investigate the common themes in them (Harvey & Goud- vis, 2000). Questions to ask might include “Does this story remind you of other stories?” Students’ guided responses might include “This reminds me of . . .” and “I can think of ”