Up and Away - National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

Section 5 Examples of classroom activities
Strategy 5 – Grading the task
Introduction
The previous four strategies have concentrated on ways in which the teacher can introduce the theme
and prepare learners for the task of reading a text. Here, the focus is on the reading exercise.
The skill of reading is developed through activities in which pupils read text then answer questions about
it. A reading exercise has two components – the text and the questions. It is possible that pupils may
understand the text but have difficulty in 1. understanding the language of the questions and 2.
formulating answers.
It is crucial that language support teachers give careful and equal consideration to both parts of a reading
exercise – the text and the questions. Questions which are considered too difficult, can be amended.
‘Grading the task’ is demonstrated below.
Level of text
Third class.
Level of learner
A1+ and higher.
Observations on the questions
In this case the questions can be
answered in a number of ways.
Pupils can:
1. Give short spoken or written
answers.
2. Give full spoken or written
answers.
The second option is more challenging
and has the effect of moving the focus
of the exercise away from reading and
towards writing or speaking. Although
they may have understood the text
itself, pupils are now grappling with
vocabulary and sentence structure so
that their success in reading may be
overshadowed by difficulty in other
areas of language learning.
Pupils can be supported in developing
reading skills by setting tasks which
require short answers. ‘Yes/No’, ‘Tick
the correct answer’ and gap fill are, in
this context, ideal exercises. They are
also easy to devise – see the examples
on the next page.
Source material: Worldwise 1. J. Hourihane & C. Ó Loingsigh
(Revised edition, 1995). The Educational Company of Ireland.
7
181