[ELTWeekly Volume 7, Issue 20 | November 23, 2015 | ISSN 0975-3036]
Reading is complicated, and becoming a skilled reader takes a long time. Most L2 reading textbooks try to promote skilled reading by teaching reading strategies. When readers begin to use these strategies automatically, the strategies become skills. So, how can you promote strategic (and one day, skilled) reading in your classroom? Here are five suggestions to keep in mind.
1. Teach, don’t just test. Many reading textbooks present a reading followed by comprehension questions. Comprehension questions can indicate whether your students have understood the text but they can’t help them become strategic readers. Good comprehension is a result of strategic reading. If you want your students to find the main idea, for example, show them how. You might start by asking them to find the topic. Then ask them what the writer wants to say about the topic. Tell them to check subheads and look for repeated words and phrases. Or, if you want your students to recognize the difference between fact and opinion, help them recognize the language “hooks” such as “research suggests” and “government records indicate” that often accompany the reporting of facts.
2. Don’t neglect fluency. Fluency is not about reading quickly; it’s about reading effortlessly and automatically. Fluency is a major component of reading proficiency; therefore, building fluency should be an important part of reading instruction. Yet, it is often neglected in reading courses. Reading is an interactive process of constructing meaning