The Essence of the Book Introduction Darnell Todd-Wynn Education Officer, Reading Ministry of Education Curriculum & Assessment dwynn@gov.bm dwynn@gov.bm

The Essence of the Book Introduction Facilitating Immediate Engagement and Scaffolding During the First Read dwynn@gov.bm

What Does The Book Introduction Achieve? Rich introductions to new stories make these stories easier to read at the first reading. Introductions are useful when it is important for children to read a new text with a high degree of successful processing. M. Clay, By Different Paths, 1998, 172 dwynn@gov.bm

What Does The Book Introduction Achieve? The book introduction can help students think about and anticipate what could happen in the story, ask themselves questions, make predictions of the outcome, and confirm or disprove their predictions. Lyons, 2003, p163-166 dwynn@gov.bm

The Introduction What Does It Sound Like? What happens does not sound at all like teaching. All the interactions take place within an easy conversational exchange that does not dismember the story. It is like the negotiations between a parent and child in the lap-story situation. M. Clay, By Different Paths, 1998, 174 dwynn@gov.bm

TWIN AIMS IN BOOK READING To allow the child scope for practicing the orchestration of all the complex range of behaviours he must use. To encourage the child to use his reading strategies on novel texts and to support his tentative efforts. Clay, M.M. (1993). Reading Recovery: A Guidebook for Teachers in Training. Page 36 dwynn@gov.bm

CHOICE OF BOOK Choose the reading book very carefully! Take meaning and language into account Select one that is well within the child’s control There should be a minimum of new things to learn Clay, GB, p. 36 dwynn@gov.bm

ORIENTATION BEFORE READING Introduce the book and make the child familiar with the story, the plot, the words, the sentences and the writing style. Clay, GB, p. 37 dwynn@gov.bm

ORIENTATION BEFORE READING (1) THE STORY & THE PLOT Draw the child’s attention to the important ideas Discuss the pictures of the whole book. Clay, GB, p. 37 dwynn@gov.bm

ORIENTATION BEFORE READING (2) THE WORDS, SENTENCES, & WRITING STYLE Give opportunities for the child to hear and use the new words and structures which he will have to work out from the pictures, the print and the language context. (Sometimes it is necessary for a child to gain control over a particular language structure first, so that he can use it in his reading.) Clay, GB, p. 37 dwynn@gov.bm

ORIENTATION BEFORE READING (2)THE WORDS, SENTENCES, & WRITING STYLE Ask him to find one or two new and important words in the text after he has said what letter he would expect to see at the beginning. How does this help? Clay, GB, p. 37 dwynn@gov.bm

FIRST READING of the book with help Why read a whole book? What do we need to encourage in the early part of the child’s programme? or with minimum help When would you encourage the child to read the book after he has looked at the pictures and then told you what the book is about (and without your help)? Clay, GB, p. 37 dwynn@gov.bm

Teaching during the first reading What are the twin aims of teacher prompts? to shape up and improve processing of information on continuous texts to direct the child’s attention to the things he overlooks Clay, GB, p. 37 dwynn@gov.bm

Helping children to get information from print HOW? Prompt to the error Give the child some information Avoid too much questioning Clay, GB, p.38 dwynn@gov.bm

Scaffolding The Expert Teacher What are the characteristics? dwynn@gov.bm

Scaffolding ‘the expert teacher’ Engages the children by asking them to reflect and discuss feelings Ensures the children understand the plot and sequence of the story up to the climax Provides an overview of the story structure Is a good listener and active participant Lyons, 2003, p163-166 dwynn@gov.bm

Scaffolding ‘the expert teacher’ Selects words that are critical to the main idea of the story Ensures students have the language required to get the meaning Provides for a feed forward system (anticipation and prediction) Elicits emotional connections to the stories by students Lyons, 2003, p163-166 dwynn@gov.bm

The Interactions with Learners Maintains interactive ease Increases accessibility Prompts to constructive activity M. Clay, By Different Paths, 1998, 175-176 dwynn@gov.bm

The Interactions with Learners Accepts partially correct responses Provides models Tightens the criteria of acceptability M. Clay, By Different Paths, 1998, 180-181 dwynn@gov.bm