Table of Contents

Content(s)

Page(s)

Background Information

Activity 1 & descriptions

2-3

Worksheet 1

Activity 2 & descriptions

5-6

Worksheet 2

Activity 3 & descriptions

8-9

Worksheet 3

10

References

11

Appendix 1

12

Background Information Date: 3rd March 2012

Time: 40 minutes

Form: Form 4 students

Enrolment: 25 students

Level of proficiency: Mixed abilities (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)

Subject: English Language (Reading) Sub skill: Classifying, distinguishing and scrambling words

Materials: 25 copies of short passage and worksheets.

General objective: 1) To enable students to classify subjects / items according to category 2) To enable students to distinguish information in reading comprehension 3) To enable students to scramble and arrange information from reading comprehension correctly

Specific objective: To help students to develop and practice strategies and skills relevant to reading comprehension

(Note: All of the images used in the activities are taken from internet databases)

1) Activity 1: Grouping Words into the Same Category

Reading strategies involved: a) Anticipate the content of the text from the title b) Infer meaning

Description: In this activity, students are asked to group a number of words based on similarities into the two different categories. By doing this, the reading process will be easier as students can relate the contextual meaning of the text by inferring the classified meaning to the text and by anticipating the content of the text from the title.

Steps / Procedure: 1. Students are provided with a short passage titled Music and the Brain (Appendix 1). 2. Then, students are asked to identify the two main subjects / items from the main title. 3. Next, students are asked to do a fast reading on the passage and identify the words or contents of the text that has the same meaning or related to the two main subjects / items mentioned in the main title. 4. Each student is given a piece of worksheet and is asked to list down the given words into two categories based on similarities. 5. Students are asked to anticipate the content of the text from the title, do inferential on the words meaning and compare their answers with their peers. 6. Teacher discusses the answers with students.

Incorporation of practices for reading strategies: Anticipate the content of the text from the title When classifying the items or subjects, students are anticipating or expecting what is the preceding content or information based on the main title. For example, if the main title said beauty, the following content might refer to woman, actresses or young age as these related to beauty. Thus, it will help students to classify the content of the text as imagination of schemata (previous knowledge) can run freely and widely that eventually lead to the understanding of the reading comprehension.

Infer meaning While doing the grouping words activity, students might come across unfamiliar words or terms that cause confusion on which category it belongs. For example, Alzheimer disease that students might get confuse on the term, whether it is more to the music or to the brain. This is when the inferring meaning occurs when students try to guess the meaning. As music is not alive and cannot get sick, students most probably will assume Alzheimer disease is more to the brain category as it affects the memory.

Activity Outcome: 1) Students are able to develop and practice the reading strategies of a) Anticipate the content of the text from the title b) Infer meaning

2) Students are able to apply their reading skills of classifying relevant to reading comprehension.

Worksheet 1

Instructions: Read the passage in 5 minutes (Appendix 1). List down the given words in the brackets into the two main categories provided below.

(Alzheimer disease)

(Memory) (Entertainment) (Relaxing) (Brainwaves)

Music

Brain

2) Activity 2: Cloze Passage (fill in the blanks)

Reading strategies involved: a) Distinguish main ideas from details b) Relate information from different parts of the text

Description: In this activity, students are asked to do a fill in the blanks activity (cloze passage) in which the answers are not provided and students have to answer using their own words. The reading passage (Appendix 1) is only given to students for only the first ten minutes of this activity. By doing this, the reading pace and comprehension will be strengthen as students try to relate and sum up the whole contextual contents.

Steps / Procedure: 1. Students are provided with a short passage titled Music and the Brain (Appendix 1). 2. Then, students are asked to read the passage for ten minutes before the passages are collected back. 3. Students are instructed to understand the whole context of the text, paragraph by paragraph and distinguish the main ideas / points from the text. 4. Students are asked to relate the main ideas and its relevant details found in the passage. 5. Students are given a piece of worksheet each and instructed to answer in the blanks using their own words. 6. Students are asked to compare their answers with their peers. 7. Teacher discusses the answers with students.

Incorporation of practices for reading strategies:

Distinguish main ideas from details When reading the given passage, students are able to extract the main ideas based on the significance and functions of the stressed words on the passage. For example, the words brain and music always appear on the text showing the importance of the words to the whole context and the words are also stressed in the paragraphs indicating that the context of the passage is focusing on the two distinctions; music and the brain. Thus, students will be able to get a better perspective or view on the evolving context based on the stressed main ideas from the details of the content.

Relate information from different parts of the text When students are doing their passage reading and summing up the contents as whole, students will get a chance to relate the main ideas from paragraph to paragraph. While looking for supporting details and extra points, students will go through each paragraph connecting significant points and finally have a complete details or information relevant to the reading needs.

Activity Outcome: 1) Students are able to develop and practice the reading strategies of a) Distinguish main ideas from details b) Relate information from different parts of the text

2) Students are able to apply their reading skills of distinguishing information from the reading comprehension.

Worksheet 2

Instructions: Read the passage in 10 minutes (Appendix 1). Fill in the blanks using your own words.

Music plays a very _______________________ role to the brain. Brains __________ the music are ________________ related. Processes of _________________ are said to improve math, science and language _____________________. In one study ______________ in Canada, scientist _____________________ that children who _________________ music show a biggest test score _____________________ improvement.

Music is also _________________ for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases that affects the _________________. __________________ to music can help Alzheimers ________________ to unblock buried ___________________ by strengthening musical pathways to the _________________.

Studies of the music/brain connections often focus on classical music as it _______________ both the right and _________________ side of our brains. Thus, _________________ is not only regarded as a ________________ of entertainment but also great for the brain.

3) Activity 3: Scramble Words

Reading strategies involved: a) Use prior knowledge to understand the text b) Evaluate information

Description: In this activity, students are asked to read a passage (Appendix 1) for ten minutes and then a worksheet contain unscramble words with authentic pictures is given to each students. Students are asked to scramble the words into correct order. By doing this, students will evoke their previous knowledge (schemata) by relating to the context and meaning of the given text that they had previously learnt in order to scramble the words correctly. At the same time, they get to practice on how to evaluate information from the text and from the stored knowledge. As a result, the fluency of reading rate can be improved and the reading comprehension will be more effective and efficient towards reading activities.

Steps / Procedure: 1. Students are provided with a short passage titled Music and the Brain (Appendix 1). 2. Then, students are asked to read the passage for ten minutes before the passages are collected back. 3. Students are instructed to understand the content of the text, evaluate the information found in the text and relate the context to their previous knowledge of the topic. 4. Students are given a piece of worksheet each and instructed to scramble the unscramble words (guided with authentic material). 5. Students are asked to compare their answers with their peers. 6. Teacher discusses the answers with students.

Incorporation of practices for reading strategies:

Use prior knowledge to understand the text When students are scrambling the given words, they are associating the words and picture with their prior knowledge as they had been exposed to the related reading material in the early stage. Thus, they are able to use their prior knowledge to understand and solve the unscramble words. Without expository to the earlier reading topic, students will face difficulties to scramble the given words as they dont have any ideas on the content of the subject.

Evaluate information While using their prior knowledge to scramble the given words, the students will come across many identical words items stored in their brain. This is when the process of evaluating information occurs where they have to evaluate which information is necessary to the reading comprehension and finally selecting the appropriate arrangements of words to scramble the words.

Activity Outcome: 1) Students are able to develop and practice the reading strategies of a) Use prior knowledge to understand the text b) Evaluate information

2) Students are able to apply their reading skills of arranging information from the reading comprehension.

Worksheet 3 Instructions: Read the passage in 10 minutes (Appendix 1). Scramble the words given in the boxes below. Use the provided pictures to help you in the scrambling process.

Unscramble words msiuc sntemsturin bnair niamtneeentr smiuc wveasnbria ymmeor pleope lzieherma sseeaid

Scramble words

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