Observation Task 2: Reading a Story in the local UAE School

Identify the type of pre-whilst and post reading activities employed by your MST

Table 7: ‘Reading a Story in the local UAE Preschool

What the MST Does What the Children Do Comments

First, she asked them They Focused with the I liked that she gets
Pre-Reading questions about the stars teacher and answer her children interested by
Activities then she showed the questions, and if they giving them hint about
How to catch a star. students the story and didn’t know how to say the story.
Describe how your MST gets asked them about the it in English they act to
children interested in the pictures on the cover explain what they
story and wanting to hear /
page then let them mean.
read it.
describe what they see.

She repeats the words The most thing that Acting the actions of the
While-Reading
loudly and acts them to they like that they were story is a good way to
Activities
grab student’s attention. acting the actions with grab their attention and
How your MST keeps
Also, she asked them the teacher while she make the students
children interested and
question after each page read the story. involved
actively involved.
of the story.

Post-Reading Activities
How your MST consolidates
the storyline and explores
opportunities for developing
language, topic related and
personal, social and
emotional issues.
After finishing the story, They were active, and Retell the story
the teacher asks students they answered the will show the
to tell her what teacher and some teacher if her students
happened. Then she asks students said what understand or can
one group to draw stars in happened in English. remember the main
the sky using paint color. Also, they draw the vocabulary.
stars and they put glitter
on it.
Reflections on Observation Task 2: Reading a Story in the Local UAE Preschool

1. What preparation (i.e. pre-listening activity) did the teacher give the
learners before they listened to the text? She showed them the cover page
and she read the title of the story, then she asked them some questions
such as … what can you see here?

If they had some preparation, select (a) if they did not, select (b).

a. How did the pre-listening activity help students understand?

They will feel interested to know what the story will talk about, so they will
focus with her.

b. What pre-listening activity could the teacher have used to help

students understand the target language better?

2. Were the learners engaged in while-listening activity/activities? If they were, select (a); if
they were not, select (b).

a. What were the aims of the while-listening activity/activities?

Make students recognize the direction such as up, down.

b. What while-listening activity/activities could the teacher have used

to help learners understand bett er what they were listening to?

3. Did the learners have a post-listening activity/activities? If they did, select

(a); if they did not, select (b).

a. What were the aims of the post-listening activity/activities?

She lets them draw what they saw in the story and retell the actions for them to
make sure that they understand well.

b. What post-listening activity/ activities might have helped the learners to

understand what they had heard better?

4. How many times did the learners listen to the text / recording?

b . Would it have increased their understanding if they had been allowed to

listen to the recording again?
Yes, because when the teacher will retell the story by putting video or
show them pictures, students will understand the story well and they
may say the story with the teacher while she retells.

c. Did the learners hear the whole text at once, or in parts?

 in parts, because students need to understand each part well.

If so, which was the most helpful?

In parts is better, because the teacher will know if the students understand
each part or not, by asking them questions after each part, that will help the
teacher to make sure that all students understand the story.

Think about the advantages and disadvantages of using the model of pre-, while- and
post-listening activities to teach a listening lesson. Write first from the perspective of
the teacher and then from the perspective of the learners.

Advantages first from the perspective of the learners:

Students will feel interested and they will love the Story and how the teacher
explain it. They will understand more when the teacher asks them a question
and retell the story. Also, when she will give them the activity which is drawing
the actions they will use their brain to remember what happened in the Story.

Disadvantages:
There are some children have a high ability to understand the story quickly, so
they may feel bored.
Other children can’t understand quickly so they feel that they’re under
pressure and they will feel bored.

Advantages first from the perspective of the teacher:

When the teacher will let children to guess, children will be quiet, and they will
listen to the story. Doing actions and changing the voice will make children
interest and they will focus with the teacher to understand the story.

Disadvantages:
It may take time to work on this and to do her lesson plan, also she will need to
prepare well to this story and organize her time.