Targeted to Intermediate English (B1+) speakers.Read more
This is the standard requirement for most courses. Participants at this level can participate actively in discussions and manage everyday and professional situations. If they are unsure about their English level, they can test it here or explore our courses facilitated in Basic English.
Humanities Teachers, Primary Teachers.Read more
The listed audiences are those for whom the course is especially recommended, but courses are not exclusive to them and are open to everyone. In fact, most of our workshops are built around the collective sharing of participants’ experiences and having a variety of profiles enriches the learning process and is highly encouraged!
Description
Reading is not just decoding words: it is the ability to understand what we read. It is comprehension, a multifaceted activity that calls on the reader’s thinking and problem-solving skills.
This happens when readers interact with the text by retrieving prior knowledge and discovering the author’s intended message.
The ideal context for detecting reading comprehension is children’s literature. Children’s literature presents texts that have a comprehensive meaning, relate to learners’ interests, and provide the opportunity for the reader to express their thoughts without apprehension or hesitation.
The course will introduce several self-expression activities that enhance children’s reading comprehension skills.
Participants will learn to choose age-appropriate storybooks that meet children’s needs and interests.
They will learn how to implement the read-aloud activity in their classes and will also learn how to implement independent and shared reading in their classes in a way that fosters reading comprehension.
Following that, the teachers will learn about different self-expression activities such as reader theatre, story theatre, book talks, etc., that can follow reading activities. They will explore how these activities can enhance children’s reading comprehension skills.
During the course, participants will read children’s books, model reading aloud, and engage in different self-expression activities such as reader theatre, story theatre, puppetry, role play, free writes, post-ful thinking, literature logs, graffiti boards, and book discussions.
By the end of the course, participants will learn that authentic, well-written books are the first step towards developing children’s reading comprehension skills.
They will realize that teachers are the key to effectively engaging children’s experiences with literature throughout the school day.
They will learn that proficient readers are metacognitive readers and think about their thinking while reading.
Balancing these experiences supports children’s development as readers and as human beings, although the emphasis may shift as children become proficient readers and gain life experiences.
What is included
Learning outcomes
The course will help participants to:
- Understand that reading comprehension is a multifaceted, complex activity;
- Choose storybooks that are age-appropriate and relevant to their students’ experiences;
- Implement different types of reading in their classes;
- Understand how self-expression activities are related to reading comprehension;
- Implement various self-expression activities that enhance their students’ reading comprehension skills.
Tentative schedule
Day 1 – Course introduction
- Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
- Icebreaker activities;
- Presentations of the participants’ schools.
Reading or Decoding
- The differences between reading and decoding;
- Defining reading comprehension as a multifaceted, complex activity.
Day 2 – The value of children’s literature
- The academic value of children’s literature;
- The personal value of children’s literature;
- Children’s literature: the ideal context for detecting reading comprehension.
Day 3 – Read aloud – the first steps towards self-expression
- Exploring how to choose the right storybook for the read-aloud activity;
- Modeling Read-Aloud Strategies;
- Exploring different self-expression activities that follow the read-aloud activity;
- Understanding how these self-expression activities enhance reading comprehension.
Day 4 – The reading child
- Exploring shared and independent reading;
- Exploring different self-expression activities that follow the shared and independent reading;
- Understanding how these self-expression activities enhance reading comprehension.
Day 5 – Self-expression activities in action
- Teachers design their self-expression activities;
- Teachers present the activities;
- Final Thoughts and Reflections.
Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities
- Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
- Excursion and other external cultural activities.
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