The Second Week

It is important for students to understand the principles of extensive reading and how it is different to intensive reading. We use this article 'Why Youngkyu Can't Read' by Dr Richard Day that has a list of 'Ten Principles of Extensive Reading' . We use the list to make a comparison on the board between the two types of reading instruction. A copy of the Extensive Reading Principles in Korean is also provided to further aid our students understanding.

Then we discuss the General Service List of 2000 words that are used by graded readers in the development of their level. Even just this list of 300 sight words covers a lot what good readers need. There are various online level tests from different publishers.

• Oxford
• Macmillan
• Cambridge
• Free Reading Test

Our students are actually teachers so we recommend two books and discuss some of the contents:

• Explorations in Language Acquisition and Use: The Taipei Lectures
• Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom

To encourage a reading culture and for a fun reading activity we use Dr Seuss's book 'Fox in Socks'. Students can follow along with the teacher, try the tongue twisters or read aloud to each other. We also show how the pictures in the book relate to what is being said. 

When a fox is in the bottle where the tweetle beetles battle with their paddles in a puddle on a noodle-eating poodle, THIS is what they call...

...a tweetle beetle noodle poodle bottled paddled muddled duddled fuddled wuddled fox in socks, sir!

So now students:

• should have books for their level
• know how to record how much they read with a minimum goal of 1000 pages
• have some idea about the principles behind Extensive Reading
• enjoyed some in class reading activities

Using this handout on Extensive Reading Assessment we introduce the concept of book reports, conferencing and word lists.

There are many types of book report formats. There is still debate over the best way to handle book reports in an Extensive Reading course. The main thing is that book reports should be short and focus not on just summarizing the book but how the reader felt about the book. In this course book reports are not compulsory for every book the student reads, but they have to choose four reports from the six provided in their Extensive Reading Manual and fill them in at least once. 

Book Report Forms

• Original Form used by Rocky
• Your Own Questions by Marc Helgesen
• The Story and You by Marc Helgesen
• Draw a Picture by Marc Helgesen
• Six to a Page by Rocky Nelson

We also have a vocabulary form that students can use if they want to. However students are reminded NOT to study the book but to READ the book. 

Finally the students are invited to do some Sustained Silent Reading while the first student-teacher conferences get under way. Most students have read between two and four books at this stage as they need to have to be 'on track' for their 1000 page goal.