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https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teacher-toolbox-resources/guide---how-to-determine-text-complexity-grades-k-12.pdf?sfvrsn=7#:~:text=Text%20complexity%20can%20be%20defined,knowledge%20demands%20of%20the%20text.

https://www.theedadvocate.org/the-4-most-common-types-of-young-readers/

https://www.stellarteacher.com/blog/2020-8-16-how-to-help-your-students-set-meaningful-reading-goals/#:~:text=Reading%20goals%20should%20be%20tracked%20and%20celebrated.&text=You%20can%20give%20students%20a,the%20progress%20students%20are%20making

https://www.iwu.edu/advising/students/reading_comprehension.pdf

https://eprints.umm.ac.id/35712/3/jiptummpp-gdl-junaidin20-47994-3-chapter-i.pdf

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D. Martin (1991) states, “The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. If you don't know anything about a subject, then pouring words of text into your mind is like pouring water into your hand. You don't retain much.”

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Additionally, Grabe William and L. Fredrika (2002) purpose of reading includes are:

reading to search for simple information

reading to skim quickly

reading to learn from text

reading to integrate information

reading to write

reading to critique texts

reading for general comprehension.

This makes me believe that the teacher needs to be very clear on which purpose and skills they will be teaching the students. This will help form lessons, for example, if I give my students a non-fiction book on rocks (which I would relate to the science unit), the purpose would be to learn from the text. If I give my students a short adventure fiction story with the goal of the students writing their own adventure story, the purpose would be to write.

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Overall, developing reading and comprehension skills are a vital part of a child’s development. All of the elements discussed in this blog are important and it’s important as teachers to reflect upon their own practices and re-evaluate how to improve. Researching reader characteristics, motivation, text complexity, and purpose of reading has helped me to shape my reading lessons, and it has given me many ideas on how to implement them with my students. Goal setting was particularly outstanding to me as I believe my students would enjoy having a reading log so that they can see their progress. I hope to grow as a teacher, and I hope my students benefit from these practices.

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For a reading lesson, I usually show the students the front cover of the story at least one lesson before we read it so that students have a chance to learn and discuss it with their peers and then as a class. I start by asking them a range of questions based on the topic of the book to see what they already know. I will go on to discuss the theme of the story and build their background knowledge. Then I will build their vocabulary by putting keywords in English, and Chinese (as my students are ESL students), small circles under each phoneme, a visual picture, and an example sentence using the word. I will get students to chorally read the word, then individually. Once I am satisfied that the students know all the vocabulary words from the story and have learnt enough of the background, I will introduce the story. I will read it to the students, with them following along, with the vocabulary words highlighted. Then I will give them a brain break to let the information digest whilst they discuss it with their friends. I will then do a variety of reading techniques where I will do popcorn reading, asking students to read certain pages or sections or choral reading. Finally, I will provide the students with a worksheet with comprehension questions for them to work on individually or as a pair. I will go around helping students who are in need. Finally, I will ask the students to reflect on what they have learnt and what they liked or disliked about the lesson.

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Goal setting for reading will also give the students a sense of accomplishment in reading. The Teacher Steller Company states how setting a reading journal, book log, reading tracker, or any kind of tracker of progress will help students work towards a goal. This lets the students physically see the progress that they are making, and they can feel a sense of accomplishment. Each student should have their own individual goal. I would design a reading log with images of each student's hobbies and make it personal to them, and then they will hopefully take an interest in reading. Once they achieve a set goal, I will reward and praise the students with a sticker or Class Dojo points, where they can see their points accumulate. This gamification element is also of great benefit to the students.

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Relating to setting goals for reading, the text complexity must be right for the students. Louisiana Believes states, “To determine text complexity, there are three steps. Step One: Identify a grade-level band based on the text’s readability. Use a quantitative measure for determining readability and the grade-level text complexity range. Step Two: Identify an appropriate grade for the text based on how hard it is to understand the text. Use the informational or literary rubric with colleagues. Step Three: Determine how the text should be used in the classroom.”

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Teachers need to take motivation into account when students are learning. Informal observations will help teachers understand the students better and having conversations with them will help to know the student’s hobbies and interests. From there, teachers can choose books based on the topic that they are learning and what the students like. Making learning more personal will help the students relate to the subject and help them be more engaged. For example, if the students like animals, sports, or art, there are a plethora of fiction and non-fiction books (and e-books) available for students, but they should also relate to the topic or phonics that the students are learning.

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I have experienced all these types of learners in my class and it’s my job as their teacher to be able to help those in need, choose an appropriately levelled book, and know when to challenge the student. I created a designated reading period where students do a variety of reading activities. I can group students together based on their level and give each group a book. I like to assign and alternate a reading leader, where that student can decide who reads each page and they can also ask questions to the rest of the team, and I walk around and spend time with each group. I can also pair a fluent reader with an early reader so that the early reader can listen and follow along whilst the fluent reader reads. Alternatively, the early reader can read to the fluent reader and the fluent reader can help the early reader with any words that they find difficult. These strategies promote student-talking time, peer work, independence, and engagement as students get to decide on their learning. I will also make sure to conduct informal observations throughout these reading activities and ask questions to the students as I walk around the classroom, as it gives me an opportunity to gauge how each student is reading.

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My understanding of reader characteristics is what kind of reader the student is. There are many theories about how many types of readers there are. After researching some theories, I resonated most with M. Lynch from The Edvocate (2019) who suggests that there are four kinds of readers:

1. Early Readers - A reader who has recently started to work with word recognition and comprehension strategies.

2. Struggling Readers - These readers have problems recognizing phonic elements, can’t blend sound, and words, and do not comprehend what they are reading. They need assistance with phonemic awareness, linking sounds to symbols, with syllables and morphemes, and language comprehension.

3. Proficient Readers - A reader who uses the strategies and possesses the skills and reading level appropriate for his or her age and grade. To reach their potential, they need to be encouraged to read books at a grade level or two above their current reading level.

4. Fluent Readers - A reader who reads with ease, accuracy, and comprehension at above-average levels. To reach their potential, they need to be encouraged to read books several levels above their current reading level.

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https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teacher-toolbox-resources/guide---how-to-determine-text-complexity-grades-k-12.pdf?sfvrsn=7#:~:text=Text%20complexity%20can%20be%20defined,knowledge%20demands%20of%20the%20text.

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One example of how to motivate the students is by acting out stories. This kind of activity which provides a multi-sensory experience builds students’ social skills and encourages a lot of student engagement. The teacher can provide props, and a script, and then choose whether to assign roles or let students choose themselves. Student choice can also be taken into consideration in a few ways, such as letting the students choose whom to work with, and the teacher can provide a range of stories, then let the students decide which story they want to act out, and which part. Letting the students make decisions together lets them have a say in their education and how they learn. The teacher needs to ensure that the range of scripts is level-appropriate.

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My understanding of text complexity is how teachers choose what level of books they give to their students. If the book is too easy or difficult for the students, they will lose interest. This ties in with motivation as students will lose motivation to learn if they are bored or overwhelmed. It’s important to create a middle-ground, where the teacher chooses a level-appropriate book to keep the engagement of the students, makes sure to incorporate additional languages and provides a multi-sensory experience for all learners. The teacher then has opportunities to differentiate instructions and ask levelled questions to the students. Building the background of stories is an important step in scaffolding a reading lesson.