Extensive Reading
Do you remember elementary school? Recess, nap time, snack time… those were the good days. Although we had all kinds of fun assignments, my favorite was always the reading log. We were asked to keep track of what we read and for how long we read outside of class. I could read anything, anytime, and anywhere, and I would get credit for it! In no time at all, I became a veracious reader—capable of getting lost in the pages of a book for hours and even days at a time.
Extensive reading is reading self-selected quick-reads for extended periods of time. Although it is important for a child’s growing literacy, curiosity, and creativity in the L1, it is arguably more important for second language learners.
Benefits
Reading fluency and automaticity: As students spend extensive time reading, they will recognize and store common words, phrases, and constructions. The more they encounter these units of language, the easier it will become to read them. It will become automatic, increasing their speed and overall comprehension!
Production skills: The more familiar students become with words and grammatical constructions through reading, the more natural it will be for students to produce them in speech and writing! Extensive reading builds reading proficiency, yes, but also speaking and writing proficiencies!
Cultural schemata: Reading authentic texts in the target language will help students to become familiar, not just with the language, but with the surrounding culture! Foods, values, historical figures, pop culture…. The list goes on!
Challenges
Extensive reading has incredible benefits for students, many programs do not include ER in their curricula. Below are a few reasons teachers may be hesitant to capitalize on ER.
Resources: Particularly in EFL contexts, there may not be easy access to level-appropriate English texts for students to read. Programs may not have the fundings necessary to build their own libraries.
Time: It may be difficult to make room for ER in the classroom, so students are often asked to read on their own at home. Students may have a hard time making time for casual reading if they are swamped with other assignments, work, and/or family responsibilities.
Knowledge of benefits: Administrators and teachers like may not be aware of the benefits of ER. Even if they are, administrators may have a hard time justifying paying teachers to watch students silently read for fun in the classroom.
Holding students accountable: Teachers may find it difficult to hold students accountable for reading at home without assigning labor-intensive assignments to accompany the reading. These assignments suck the joy and ease out of ER, often defeating its purpose.
Student resistance: Students may not enjoy reading, even in their L1. They may not understand the benefits of ER and may be frustrated that they are paying for an education that asks them to simply read for fun.
Tips and Tricks
Despite the challenges, I promise that it is well worth the effort to incorporate ER into your classroom. Here are a few tips and tricks to help overcome the barriers:
Build your own library: You may already own some books that you read to your children. Keep a running bookshelf that students can rotate through and read! Anything from picture books to YA fiction is worth including!
Visit the public library: Go on a field trip with your students to the library. Help them get library cards and show them the wide array of topics and genres.
Keep it simple: Remember to keep your students’ proficiency in mind. ER texts should be slightly below their level to ensure an easy, quick read. Consider showing your students lexile.com so they can choose level appropriate texts on their own.
Read aloud to your students: To get your students excited about reading at home, read one of your favorite books aloud to them for 15 minutes in class! Be animated and have fun with it! Your love for books will be contagious!
Simple class projects: To hold students accountable, you could consider asking students to do a monthly presentation on their favorite book they’ve read of hold monthly book club discussions in small groups.
Communicate: If you meet resistance from administrators or students, communicate. Explain why you want to incorporate ER into your classroom. Show administrators and students how ER will help students achieve course goals.
