Monday 24 January 2011

Speed reading

This is a game I first saw Aileen Scouler play many moons ago, as a way to get her kids to respond a bit more quickly. Very simple, nicely competitive,


and rewards the careful listener/accurate reader as much as the swift of reflex.

Simply, the teacher reads (or plays the CD) of a book. We love our OUP Story Tree series at Luna. Whenever you pause, whoever thinks they can read the next word, dings a bell or something, and has a go. One point if they are 'close enough' for you - shake your head if someone else should try.

Obviously the teacher can be as soft or as picky as they want to be. Personally, I like to be a bit picky after children have listened to the story (at home, for homework). Immediately shows who has been a good student....and teacher can pick on the 'new' words or the oft tricky ones.

With a new book, the opposite works nicely; pause at known words, and children will be happy not to be challenged on the unknown ones - but be keenly motivated to listen up for pronunciation...good grades readers have a healthy habit of recycling words, don't they?!

So, lovely little task to get readers focused, and a nice incidental way for teacher to target vocab. Thanks Aileen!


On the hoof - best of British!

1 comment:

  1. I forgot to add that I really like these Story Tree readers for the fact that they come with a CD narration of the bnoks, and a dedicated workbook for each of the titles in a pack. These workbooks contain ideal practice for Cambridge Young Learners exam tasks...just by the way :)

    Jim

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