Everything I have read regarding literacy indicates that reading aloud to children is one of the best ways to improve their language/literacy skills. I am sure that this works based on my own experience with my own child. I'd like to incorporate a read aloud time in my adult ELL class (they are basic beginners), but am not sure which materials might best suit them. Any suggestions?
Comments
Hello Rosemary and all, Thanks for your question, Rosemary. Reading aloud is a great strategy to use with adult English learners. Our colleagues in Canada have created some wonderful readers at various levels for adult immigrants and refugees who are learning English. You can find these materials at the ESL Literacy Network readers page. The site includes audio of the stories, which is quite helpful. You will also find a teacher's guide with useful tips on how to effectively use the readers. If anyone has used these resources, it would be great to hear how they have worked for you.
Another source for reading material is to engage learners in generating their own text using the Language Experience Approach (LEA). A helpful video resource in the LINCS collection-- "How Much are the Peppers?" --created by Heide Spruck Wrigley illustrates the LEA process and highlights why it is such a useful strategy, especially with low level students.
You can read a step by step guide for how to implement LEA in an article from the Center for Applied Linguistics.
I'm wondering how members are using the Language Experience Approach in their teaching. Please share your experiences with us here.
Cheers, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, AELL Community of Practice
Yes, reading aloud is a great strategy to use with adult English learners. When our learners read on their own often they do not understand what they read because they have incorrect phrasing. Reading aloud to them facilitates the comprehension of the text. Re-reading chorally is also helpful to improve fluency and correct phrasing. After that, it is possible to work on other aspects of the text.
I use the ESL Literacy readers from Canada with my emergent readers/ELLs. The topics are of interest to learners. There is enough repetition and cohesion in the texts. We just have to be careful in our selections especially about British vs American spelling.
I also use what I call a modified version of LEA with these learners. This is in fact where I start before moving on to the booklets. I call it modified because I write as closely as possible what the students generate but I do correct major issues and I add repeated words or texts markers to make them more cohesive. e.g. In my bedroom, there is a bed and a TV. In my bedroom there is also a dresser. On the dresser, in my bedroom, there is a TV.
We read and re-read these stories aloud frequently.
I also used modified sustained reading in my classes in the past. Once we have read a text, students can read aloud in pairs taking turns. They can support and correct each other. Library books can be used as well. It depends on the level of your students.
Hello Nicole and all, Thanks for sharing the benefits of reading aloud with adult English learners. As you note, choral reading is also beneficial. In addition, we might have students read with a partner, perhaps taking turns reading every other sentence or paragraph.
The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is a recommended method for teaching reading, especially with low level learners and those who have limited formal schooling. I believe each teacher needs to decide for her or himself how to handle student-generated language when implementing LEA. There are at least two schools of thought on this. One is to record the words exactly as students say them, so they can begin to match oral and written text. The other, as reflected in your posting, Nicole, is to record the words, but make some changes to reflect accepted standards for writing.
There are pros and cons to each, and we need to take the learners' print literacy background into consideration when deciding how to implement LEA.
What more can be said about using LEA with adult English learners? Comments welcome!
Cheers, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, AELL CoP
I have used the LEA a few times with my student. The first few times I struggled to apply the LEA to future lessons and I am still unsure whether I prefer to correct the passage or leave as is. It seems as though my student is expecting correction so I have been correcting some of the mistakes that I feel she will be able to learn from and apply. The last LEA was spurred on somewhat spontaneously after discussing a photo that I had brought in which made my student recall a vacation. She was able to articulate her trip and I felt more comfortable with the technique that time. I provided a few corrections, and had her read the passage several times which led her to self-correct a few of the mistakes. I found that LEA to be quite rewarding as it was relevant to her and she was recalling a positive experience.