subject: Teach New Words Through Silent Reading [print this page] Getting a kid to complete a task on his own is not easy. Children are like balls of energy; they are easily distracted. Hence, teachers need to find a way on how to get them to learn new words. Do not be surprised if they turn up the next morning not remembering anything from the vocabulary list you gave while claiming that their dog ate the said list.
For advanced classes, try silent reading. Since the main goal is to to make them learn without stress, the students should not have to write their own reviews or report on the stories. This way, they will not feel the activity as a burden.
One way to conduct the activity is to do it in class where the teachers will be responsible to choose suitable stories. However, this can be somewhat troublesome because to distribute the same book to everyone is not as easy as it sounds. Even if the teachers decide to make copies, it will cost a lot. Hence, having the activity in the library is the best idea.
In the library, the students know that they are not supposed to make any noise, which makes it easier for the teachers. It also enables them to pick any book that they like, giving them the chance to explore the whole place. Give them about ten minutes to pick a book and settle down.
The children should be reminded that throughout the session, which can last up to the whole period, they are not allowed to move around. They must remain in one place and jot down the words that they do not understand. This should be done independently, no discussing or whispering with the neighbours. This should be a good time to teach them that being in a library requires everyone to be quiet.
Through this activity, the students are given the responsibility to learn new things at their own pace. Do not be surprised if they tend to be excited over this. Teachers may even find the students trying to finish what they are reading as fast as they can because they know that they only have limited time to spend with their books.
