Each year when I write my professional growth goal, it seems that “get students to read more and better” creeps its way into the annual plan. My administrator must think I can never get it done if it shows up three of every four years.
Learning to read is a process, not a unit. Learning to read is the culmination of many cognitive skills, not just pronouncing words out loud from a paragraph. Comprehension is essential so how can I prepare my French students for long-term reading success? Read below to see how to combine speaking, listening, and writing with reading to create a larger piece of the reading puzzle.
And then be patient, because the process of becoming a skilled reader takes time.
#1 – Start with pre-reading strategies
What pre-reading strategies have you practiced before giving them an authentic reading?
- Mix and Match
- Three different reading resources each with a title, picture, and text
- Cut each of the three resources into those three parts (nine total items)
- Ask students to match the title to the text to the picture
- Make it a speaking activity as they read – differentiate for proficiency levels:
- Scaffolded target language chunks for novices: “Le titre #1 va avec la photo #3 et le texte #3.” (Title #1 goes with photo #3 and text #3.)
- Intermediate and advance students give reasons and might have fewer sentence starters: “À mon avis, ___ va avec ___ et ___ parce que…” (In my opinion, ___ goes with ___ and ___ because…”)
- The three items can come from varied authentic resources (not necessarily all restaurant menus, for example).
- What you choose depends on your unit end goals and the language you want your students to be able to read and discuss.
- Have there been multiple opportunities to pre-discuss the topic of the reading(s)? Consider:
- Preferences / likes or dislikes / rank order a set of items
- Other books, movies, conversations about the topic
- Speaking practice with the vocabulary to agree or disagree with statements about the vocabulary
- Speaking about a picture related to the reading resource (or a movie trailer with no sound)
- Get students to talk about the topic using related vocabulary or chunks of language that will help as you begin to read
- Brainstorm as a class (in French or in English – depending on students’ proficiency levels) strategies used to understand readings in any of their classes
- Speaking must precede the reading and be present during the reading
- Because speaking about the topic gives them practice with the vocabulary and structures
- Because you can better understand their level of comprehension as they read and provide added scaffolding, if needed.
#2 – Provide regular opportunities to read as a class
Many students are anxious about reading in the target language because they feel they must understand every.single.word.and.sentence. Not true, of course.
The more opportunities that students can interact with different types of authentic readings over the course of French 1, French 2, and above, the more comfortable they become with tackling the text. They also learn to trust that you will help scaffold their way through the authentic resource and that there will be processing time via listening, speaking, and writing activities.
Consider reading once every two or three weeks in French 1. What? You have no authentic resources? Check out my blog “Authentic Readings for Beginning French Students – it’s possible!” for some ideas.
#3 – Prioritize reading to happen during class
Beginning French students (and even intermediate or advanced French students) do not always have the skills to tackle reading on their own at home or with a sub. As you begin to set the expectation of more reading in your French classes, prioritize the time for it to happen during class.
Reading during French class allows you to scaffold the necessary language and structures, learn about your students’ learning styles, and calm their nerves when they can’t understand every single word in French. The opportunities for “teachable moments” about how to read in French – or any target language – will present themselves each time you read together. The process of learning to read in French together might give you more students who finish the reading and not revert to “Google Translated” readings at home.
Practice pre-reading strategies, provide reading opportunities, and read during class time. Which of those ideas might make the biggest difference for your students? Which one might increase student achievement the most? It’s worth a try and some trial and error…and then ask the students when you are done to tell you what worked – or didn’t.
My name is Lisa and it is a pleasure to be your new French colleague. How can I help you tomorrow?
