Engaging Activities to Improve Reading Comprehension

1. TFLTA 2008 Annual Conference Franklin, TN. Engaging Activities to Improve Reading Comprehension Alejandra Lejwa Rocío Rodríguez del Río Hutchison School Memphis, TN This presentation is available at:https://lejwa.wikispaces.com/

2. Suggestions • Start working on reading skills at beginning levels. • Approach reading as a communicative activity. • Provide activities for different learning styles. • Be creative and meaningful!

3. The Place for Reading • In programs focused on oral proficiency, there is little space for working on reading skills • Students at intermediate or advanced levels of oral proficiency will need reading skills to continue their study of the foreign language • In those instances in which reading is taught there is a tendency to frame reading activities in passive or individual contexts

4. Challenges for the Students • Time to work on reading • Insufficient vocabulary or poor dictionary skills • Tendency to translate the whole text • Difficulty reading beyond the text • Difficulty retaining • Difficulty connecting with other work • Lack of knowledge of world history

5. Understanding the Act of Reading Bolero de Ravel

6. Understanding the Act of Reading Pre-reading preparation guides

7. Reading • Avoiding • frustration • loss of confidence • in language skills Making it enjoyable quick productive

8. Pleasure Reading Finding a reading partner • Small group reading • Whole class reading • Community reading • Creating a reading space • Corner or center of the classroom • Going outside • Beach chairs, pillows, and bean bags • Lie down on the grass or floor • Change sitting arrangements • Bringing food • Other • - Reading out loud • - Acting out scenes • - Becoming a character

9. Pre-reading and Post-reading Activities

10. Selecting Goals • Understand vocabulary • Stimulate background knowledge • Increase cultural and historical knowledge • Promote understanding • Make connections • Reflect on concepts, ideas, images, etc. • Retain and use newly acquired vocabulary

11. Videos Cultural content and history Examples: • Los Sanfermines • La Tomatina • Cuba • Alhambra

12. Videos Connections to movies for deeper understanding - Comparing characters “La viuda de Montiel” short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Official Story (movie by Luis Puenzo and Aída Bortnik) - Comparing themes “El laberinto del Fauno” (movie by Guillermo del Toro) and poem “El beso de los dragones” by Wilfredo Machado.

13. Comics Anticipation / reflection to promote understanding Quino and “Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes” by Gabriel García Márquez

14. Comics Anticipation / reflection to promote understanding Quino and “Cartas de amor traicionado” by Isabel Allende

15. Pictures Connection with characters • Pictures of Quijote by different artists at different times

16. Pictures Connection with places • Pictures of different environments Horacio Quiroga and pictures of rain forest Isabel Allende and pictures of the dessert

17. Videos Connections to commercials Focus on meaning Example: “El arbol de oro”,short story by Ana Maria Matute, and Aerolíneas Argentinas commercial

18. Paintings Comparing concepts Understanding characters Understanding historical background Understanding literary movements Examples: Comparing the art of Botero with Picasso, Goya, El Greco, Orozco, Rivera, etc. “Las meninas” de Velazquez and the Baroque “El nacimiento de Venus” by Botticelli and the Renaissance Poetry

19. Pictures Historic and cultural background • “Miré los muros de la patria mía”

20. Pictures Historic and cultural background - Romances

22. Art - Scrapbooking • Summarizing stories • Retaining characters’ descriptions Examples: Creating a scrapbook about all stories read throughout the semester / year. Designing a poster for each story.

23. Art – Drawing / Crafts • Emotional connections with characters • Understanding characters and their situations • General understanding Examples: Making the stick doll (“La rama seca” by A. M. Matute) Drawing “Pipa” and the pretty doll (“La rama seca” by A. M. Matute) Drawing a modern Chac Mool after reading the short story “Chac Mool” by Carlos Fuentes. Making paper flowers and “papel picado” for Day of the Dead

24. Songs Anticipation / Reflection to promote understanding • “El hijo del capitán trueno” by Miguel Bose and “El difícil arte de ser macho” by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez

25. Songs Making connections with other contexts Retaining vocabulary Example: “Carta de amor” by Juan Luis Guerra and “Cartas de amor traicionado” by Isabel Allende.

26. Songs Historic and cultural background information • Literary Movements – Surrealism “Eungenio Salvador Dalí”by Mecano • Story “Los mejores calzados” by Luisa Valenzuela and song “Solo le pido a Dios” by Leon Gieco

27. Creative Writing • Comparative learning • Applied knowledge of cultural and historical information • Emotional connection with text • Vocabulary retention and use Examples: Letter to author, character, or artist. Comparing stories by same author. “La rama seca” – “El arbol de oro” (Ana María Matute) Comparing stories with same or opposite topic / characters / ambience. “El avión de la Bella Durmiente” – “El décimo” “Las medias rojas” – “Dos palabras” La tomatina – “Oda al tomate” Creating poems and songs.

28. Other Texts Comparative learning and discussion Applied knowledge of cultural and historical information Examples: Newspaper articles (Botero) Other stories by same author “La rama seca” – “El arbol de oro” (Ana María Matute) Other stories with same or opposite topic / characters / ambience “El avión de la Bella Durmiente” – “El décimo” “El árbol de oro” – “La rama seca” – “La luz es como el agua” “Las medias rojas” – “Dos palabras” La tomatina – “Oda al tomate” (poem by Pablo Neruda_

29. Reading

30. Guided Reading • Breaking text into sections • Activating background knowledge to understand vocabulary • Answer comprehension questions on the go • Community reading • Drawing characters and places • Draw according to descriptions • Creating scene • Make a collage or act out a part • Picturing the environment • Look at art or pictures to identify described environment

31. Questions and CollaborationThis presentation is available at:https://lejwa.wikispaces.com/

32. Presenters Alejandra Lejwa, MA Upper School Spanish Instructor World Language Department Chair Hutchison School alejwa@hutchisonschool.org Rocio Rodriguez del Rio. Ph.D. Upper School Spanish Instructor Hutchison School rrodriguezdelrio@hutchisonschool.org