Learning to read properly

English first additional language

Grade 9

Fun at the fair

Module 1

Learning to read properly

Activity 1:

Learning to read properly

[lo 3.6.1]

1. First of all, gain as many clues as you can before you star t reading: Look at the title and the source of the material (usually at the bottom). Even the name of the author, and what s(he) does, can give you a clue about the type of writing to expect. Sometimes the font will indicate whether this is an academic piece of writing, a humorous or feminine genre.

• Here are some examples:

2. Next, you need to know something about HOW to read .

2.1 Take any passage in any magazine or newspaper that has 3 or 4 paragraphs.

Now read JUST the first sentence of each paragraph to give you SOME idea of what the passage is about. These sentences give valuable clues.

2.2 Now you need to mark the reading so that you know . . .

• where to pause ;
• which words to stress ;
• where to make a fresh start, e.g. a new paragraph.

Here is an example:

The syllables in bold are to be stressed; a single virgule (/) means a short pause; a double virgule (//) means a longer pause.

A. First, read the following paragraph stressing the appropriate syllables. You will notice that your voice goes up - this is good because you start introducing tone variation into your voice, see?

Mar cus Au gus tus was a young boy with i dea s. As a small child, he had made toys out of no thing. He i ma gined that stones were cha riots and small pieces of wood were wolves and thieves who were trying to steal his chariots and all the se ster ces that he owned , which he i ma gined were kept in a large treasure chest .

B. Now, read the passage again, but this time pause slightly where there is a single virgule and pause longer where there is a double virgule.

Marcus Augustus was a young boy / with ideas.// As a small child,/ he had made toys out of nothing.// He imagined that stones were chariots /and small pieces of wood were wolves and thieves/ who were trying to steal his chariots / and all the sesterces that he owned, / which he imagined were kept / in a large / treasure / chest.