[etni] Extensive Reading

  • From: Rivka Lewenstein <rlewen@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 14:48:32 -0800 (PST)

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Hi,
 
As I wrote earlier, I do extensive reading in class, and find that the 
advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Of course, it helps that I have 
Russian students who LOVE reading, and often beg me to allow them to read for a 
few more minutes! Actually, my biggest problem is getting a budget to buy more 
readers, because a few books seem to disappear from the library every year, and 
it's getting harder and harder to buy new books to replace them.
 
Regarding the question of forcing students to read at least a certain stage, I 
think the coordinator in question is making a mistake in forcing students to 
read above a certain stage. First, for practical reasons - stage four by one 
publisher is not the same as stage four by another - and even within one 
publishing company - different series are graded in different ways.
 
Secondly, I find it counterproductive to force students to all read a certain 
level or higher. Of course I check what my students are reading, and don't 
allow my advanced students to "get away" with reading very easy books, but I am 
pretty easygoing about the whole thing. After all, I want my students to enjoy 
the reading process, so why force them to read books which they are not ready 
to read, at least not emotionally? (That's not to say that you shouldn't gently 
ease up the level over time.)
 
As for making students rewrite book reports, that's totally unfair. Can you 
imagine if the Ministry came out with new criteria for projects and told all 
the teachers who already did projects according to the old criteria that they 
have to redo their projects?!!
 
All the best,
Rivka 


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