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Lack of life experinces

by Kirsten on Feb 05 2009 1:09 PM

Hello
I have recently started a small group of ESL students. I have three Chinese students who are in 1st, 2nd and 4th grades. They are a terrific readers in that they are very fluent. They are great spellers and seem to have grasped most phonical rules. However their reading comprhension is rather weak. They have trouble relating to what they read as they have had limited experinces dealing with American culture. Their familes do not speak English and do not take their children to extra activities. Any suggestions??

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Re: Lack of life experinces

by Anonymous on Feb 05 2009 4:50 PM

Reading comprehension is a typical weak spot with ESL learners. I would try building background information BEFORE you begin to read the story. Many times I show various pictures of what they are going to learn about or find something about it on the internet. Preview the vocabulary as well. A lot of talking and discussion should occur before the actual reading.

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Re: Lack of life experinces

by Lishu Yin on Mar 04 2009 11:14 AM

Since you have a small group, guided reading can help them develop reading strategies and comprehension. First, it\\\\\\\'s important to have an assessment to see where their levels are. Start at their instruction level, then gradually move up to the next level. Monitor their progress regularly so that you can adjust your lesson preparation accordingly. At the same time, integrate writing with reading.

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Re: Re: Lack of life experinces

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Re: Lack of life experinces

by Smorey on Apr 20 2009 5:19 PM

In addition to building background for your students, whenever possible, it's very helpful to bring in realia that allows them to experience first-hand the content of the story. For example, if you're reading a story about carving pumpkins you might bring in a pumpkin and actually carve it in class so that they actually use all of their senses to experience what it's like. This is not only good for ESL students, but general ed. students as well.

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