Mulatu & Regassa, Cogent Education (2022), 9: 2093493

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Gerry et al. (2012) clarified that reading is one strand of literacy. The reading process is complex
and multi-dimensional. Effective teachers have an understanding of this complexity and are able
to use a range of teaching approaches that produce confident and independent readers. Gerry
et al. (2012) identified several components that need to be considered in the teaching of reading
towards recognizing this complexity. Among these are: the establishment of varied and rich
vocabulary, development of phonological processes, the provision of a framework for teaching
comprehension strategies, a need to ensure that motivation and enjoyment of reading are key
aspects of the reading process, and a renewed focus on reading fluency.

2.2. Phases in teaching and learning reading

Different scholars divide phases in teaching and learning reading in to three main stages. They are,
pre-reading, while- reading, and post-reading. A good reading lesson could follow the following
stages: Pre-reading stage, while-reading stage and post-reading stage (Atkins et al., 1996)

2.2.1. Pre-reading phase

According to Williams (1984), the pre-phase of reading tries to introduce and arouse interest in the
topic, motivate learners by giving a reason for reading, and provide some language preparation for
the text. Correspondingly, Hedge (2000) explains that the pre-reading phase as one of the major
responses to increasing insights about the role of schematic knowledge in reading has been the
focus of current reading methodology on a pre-reading stage.

Williams (1984) clarifies that in order to help prepare for pre-reading work, useful questions that
the teacher can ask herself/himself are:

a) What knowledge, ideas or opinions might the learners already have on the text topic, and how
can this knowledge be drawn out and used?

b) Why should anyone want to read this text, and can the same, or similar, reasons be generated
in the learners? (p. 37)

Atkins et al. (1996) on their part explain how to use the pre-reading phase as follows: the pre-
reading stage does not need more than a few minutes. For Example, ask students to list some
words they expect to meet in the passage. Write their words on the blackboard. If students do not
suggest them, add other words. Pre-teach these words in context, or tell students to try to guess
the difference between the words as they read the passage. According to these scholars, the aims
of the pre-reading phase are: to activate prior knowledge, get students interested in the topic, and
theme for the reading.

In conclusion, the pre-reading stage familiarizes a reader with the basic content and organiza­
tion of the text and helps to activate prior knowledge. It is an important phase that prepares
students for the reading text. Thus, it should be properly used for every reading lesson which is
carried out in the classroom.

2.2.2. While-reading phase

This phase focuses on the text. It allows students to integrate the knowledge and information they
bring to the text with new information in the text. Students read silently and try to understand the
main points. They also answer a number of questions designed to understand the ideas in the text.
There is no need of understanding every word, but they guess the meaning of new words from the
context (Williams, 1984, p. 38).This shows that the main thing that students should do here is to
interact with the text and try to relate their prior knowledge with the text for understanding.

As a rule, while -reading work should begin with a general or global understanding of the text,
and then move to similar units such as paragraphs, sentences and words. Williams (1984) says the

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reason for this is that the larger units provide a context for understanding the smaller units—a
paragraph or sentence, for example, may help the reader to understand a word.

Hedge (2000) states students’ activities at this stage. These are read and match, read and label,
read and complete, and read and draw. By doing these activities students try to understand the
given text and do the comprehension questions given by their teacher in order to check whether
they understand the text or not. Atkins et al. (1996), for instance, state the following as activities
the teacher carried out during while-reading stage. These are: tell students to read the questions,
and then read the passage silently to find the answer. Tell them they do not need to understand
every word to answer the question. When they have worked out the answer, they should discuss in
their group until they have agreed on one answer. Finally, make students give their answers and
evidences for their choice.

Generally, the while-reading stage is significant for processing the text in depth. Students
attempt to comprehend the text by using the strategies which are used during the while- reading
stage. They also need to integrate their prior knowledge with what they are reading.

2.2.3. Post-reading phase

This sage allows students to articulate and process their understanding of what they have read
and to think critically about the validity of the text. According to Atkins et al. (1996), the post
reading phase has the following tasks: 1) to check overall comprehension of the text 2) Questions
to get students to relate the passage to their experience 3) Relating speaking and writing activities.

The teacher should ask general questions on the passage to achieve the following:

● To check students’ overall comprehension of the passage

● To encourage them to evaluate the passage (Interesting? Agree? True?)
● To get them to relate the passage to their own experience (similar experience?)
● To get students to imagine themselves in the situation in the text.

The aims of post-reading work are: a) To consolidate or reflect upon what has been said, b) To
relate the text to the learners’ own knowledge, interest or views (Williams, 1984) and c) To
integrate other skills (Atkins et al., 1996)

To sum up, in this phase it is important to set a related activity possibly involving other skills,
such as completing a paragraph summary of the text, a word puzzle based on the passage,
discussion about the main topic and dramatization of the passage.

2.3. Teachers’ role in teaching reading skill

Atkins et al. (1996) explain that for the benefit of the future generation, it is certainly extremely
important to improve the teaching of reading in schools. The teacher’s ability to teach reading
plays a decisive role in students’ language skills and ultimately in the success of learners. Among
the significant factors that contribute to students’ poor reading are ineffective teaching of reading,
and inadequate textbooks, containing inappropriate tasks for helping students develop reading
abilities. According to these scholars, the teacher plays an important role to enable students to
read and understand a text by using different strategies of reading a text.

Excellent reading teachers share the following critical qualities of knowledge and practice:

● They understand learner’s reading and writing development

● They can assess a learner’s individual progress and relate reading instruction to a learner’s previous
experience.
● They know a variety of ways to teach reading.

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● They are able to use a variety of materials and texts for learners to read.
● They can tailor instruction to the individual student.
● They can help students strategically (International Reading Association).

Overall, teachers should assist students to actively engage in the process of meaning and knowl­
edge construction. Thus, the teachers should apply the techniques and strategies of teaching
reading lessons. The roles of the teacher in intensive and extensive reading will be discussed
below.

2.3.1. The role of the teacher in intensive reading

In intensive reading students are expected to understand everything they read and be able to
answer detailed vocabulary and comprehension questions (Venkateswaran, 2009). In addition,
Venkateswaran (2009) explains that in extensive reading students should have a general under­
standing of the text without necessarily understanding every word. It is done for pleasure and to
obtain information for different purposes of the reader.

Different scholars explain the role of the teacher in intensive reading in different ways, For
Example, Harmer (2000) as cited in Solomon (2013) explains as follows: The major activity of the
teacher in reading session should be creating enthusiasm and interest of reading in the students’.
This can be done by using topics that arouse interest in students according to their level.

The roles the teacher has to assume during a reading practice session in the classroom are:

● Organizer: As an organizer of the activities he/she needs to tell students exactly what their reading
purposes are. It is also necessary to notify the time given for that particular reading activity and stick
to the announced time.
● Observer: When students are made to read by themselves silently they should not be interrupted
even though the teacher has some information to deliver. Teachers rather should observe the
progress of the students reading individually or in a group. This follow-up may give us whether or
not we should give some more time or not. It will uncover the problems students are facing during
the reading so that we can look for a solution.
● Feedback organizer: The teacher has the responsibility of being a feedback organizer in such a way
that once the reading session is well organized and appropriately followed he/she can give feedback
and organize the text actively. The activity could be something like comparing answers with each
other or asking for answers from the class in general or from groups and individuals in particular. In
asking, however, students to give answers, it will be important to ask them wherein the text they
found the information for their answers. This initiates students to practice a detailed study of the
text which will help them the next time they come to a similar reading passage.
● Parameter: This means that teachers should be responsible to quickly let students notice language
features that they have not been familiar with or direct them to some other features of the
language by clarifying ambiguities and confusion. New language items should be clarified as well.

A text that is to be largely dealt with intensively also helps to encourage students to get a general
understanding first by using “pre-questions”. Then what is to be done is to encourage students to
pick out particular information and equally important is to encourage them not to worry at
ignoring other, perhaps quite large, sections of the text which are not relevant to the task they
have been given Venkateswaran (2009).

Generally, the aim of the teacher should be to help the students in overall activities of learning
reading skills. Then as mentioned above he/she plays organizer, observer, feedback organizer, and
parameter role.

2.3.2. The role of the teacher in extensive reading

Teachers are expected to arouse interest in the students so that they will make extensive reading
part of their language learning ability. Most students will not do extensive reading by themselves

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unless they are encouraged to do so by their teachers (Venkateswaran, 2009). According to this
author, teachers should help students how to use extensive reading and encourage them to have
a habit of extensive reading is very important.

Harmer (2003) as as cited in Solomon (2013), for example, states that having persuaded our
students about the benefits of extensive reading, we can organize a reading program where we
indicate to students how many books or short stories we expect them to read over a given period. We
can explain how they make their choice of what to read, making it clear that the choice is theirs, but
that they can consult other students’ reviews and comments to help them make that choice.

Whether in intensive or extensive reading time silent reading is very important. Venkateswaran
(2009) enlightens us that it will be correct to say that what we read depends on why we read and
how we read. Silent reading is the most important skill that we should aim at when we teach prose
or a reading lesson. This requires full attention for comprehension and helps in developing the
speed of reading. Silent reading has to be encouraged for it develops concentration. Ibid also lists
some points to be born in mind by the teacher.

● The teacher should bear in mind that he must give a model reading of the whole or part of any
material that is being read (this depends on the students’ level and length of the material).
● Pupils should have an opportunity of reading the passage to themselves before they are called on to
read.

2.4. Principles of teaching reading

Scholars have written principles of teaching; for example, Harmer (2008) lists six principles of
teaching reading:

1. Reading is not a passive skill: reading is an active occupation. Therefore, readers should
understand the meanings of words, see pictures, understand the arguments and take a position
to agree or not. If students do not do these things while reading, then they are only scratching the
surface of the text, and there will a tendency of forgetting.

2. Students need to be engaged with what they are doing: students should be engaged with the
reading text. This helps them to be actively interested in what they are doing and benefit much from it.

3. Students should be encouraged to respond to the context of a reading text, not just to the
language: the main purpose of practicing reading is to let students get the meaning and the
message of the text. Thus, we must give students a chance to respond to the meaning and
message of texts.

4. Prediction is a major factor in reading: books converse, photographs, contents, and titles give
us hints of what is in the book before we read a single word. Our brain begins predicting what we
are going to read. We build expectations and the active process of reading takes place. Therefore,
teachers should give hints to their students so that they can predict what is going to be read.

5. Match the task to the topic: once students are given a reading text to read an appropriate task
should be designed. The right kind of questions and other useful activities that engage students
must be ready. Unnecessary and inappropriate questions could make an interesting text boring
and unattractive.

6. Good teacher exploits reading text to the full: any reading text is full of sentences, words,
ideas, descriptions, etc. It does not make sense to get students to read it and then drop it to move
on to something else. Good teachers integrate the reading text into interesting class sequences
using the topic for discussion and further tasks, using the language for study and later activation.

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