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CLASS LIBRARY

 I have taught in Infant Education and in the first cycle of Primary. In order to give my very young students the chance to read more texts than the ones they find in the class book, I started, a couple of years ago, my personal English library-box. What I usually do is buy every English book it comes to my hands (I do not want to make free advertising but Dealz stores are great to find cheap books for less than 2€, they always bring new ones when it is the beginning of the year, Halloween, Christmas…); I grade them according to their level, put a sticker with a number and add them to a list, which I use to record the books they have read. Once a week, they have the opportunity to pick a book a keep it for the week (or even two, the time they need).

Each book has attached a template with general questions for the pre-reading and post-reading.

Pre- reading tasks. Firstly they “skim” the covers and title, searching for something appealing. Since the students are starting with their writing skills (even in L1), so they are asked to make a picture of the cover.

Post/reading tasks: Write down two/three new words they have learnt. Make a picture of the end of the story. When some of them have read the same book, a small talk can be taken in class, pointing what they like the most and recommending next stories.

 

Motivation is a significant factor since the student chooses the book they want (there is a wide range of topics: picture books, about jobs, super heroes, small biographies, princesses, non-fiction stories…) , they read to their own pace, so they are more willing to do reading in this way than with the class book.

Lastly, it is important to mention that this strategy it is not being implemented this year because of the COVID protocol we have in our school.


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