What do you think about students reading an article at home and then discussing in class? We love the idea! That’s why we created Critical Reading Club (CRC).
Some teachers are hesitant about CRC lessons because they worry that students might not read the article ahead of time. Even if that happens, it’s no big deal! Here are some tips to help you deal with this situation if it arises.
Use what the group knows
The students who did read the article can take the opportunity to explain it to other students. If you think they might not be confident enough to do so, ask them to just mention one or two memorable details. Between everyone’s contributions, the other students should get a sufficient grasp of the topic.
Play a guessing game
Ask the students who didn’t read the article to read the title and the first paragraph (or read it out to them) and make predictions about the rest of the text. The other students will either confirm or explain why the predictions are right or wrong. This task shouldn’t take more than two minutes as you don’t want to discourage students from reading texts at home in the future!
Let students help each other
CRC worksheets are designed in a way that lets all students do speaking and vocabulary tasks but those who haven’t read the article might naturally find it a bit more challenging. If that happens, allow others to help them by providing the necessary information.
Encourage students to read
Make sure students know that: the CRC articles are not long (except for some advanced ones); they can read them right before the lesson if they want; they provide authentic and beneficial reading practice. Once your students are used to the CRC lesson format, it will get easier both for them and for you!
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