**** ETNI on the web http://www.etni.org.il http://www.etni.org **** 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 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now ##### To send a message to the ETNI list email: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ##### ##### Send queries and questions to: ask@xxxxxxxx #####