Engaging the reluctant reader through active reading strategies

The objective of this workshop is to demonstrate not only how to overcome the fear of reading among young adults but also how to develop affection for it by adjusting studentcentred learning strategies to the individual needs of the learners. Reading then becomes an active dialogue session with the author culminating in writing in any genre rather than a passive boring activity. The workshop begins with an incidental lead-in activity connected to the topic of the reading passage, which aims to generate student-centred discussions. This is then followed by a timed individual reading session, where the students have a ‘dialogue’ with the author of the passage by scribbling and writing in any language or by drawing graphic presentations of their feelings that are generated. A group discussion of the students’ reactions to the reading would result in seeing the text in a new light or angle. This is then followed by a spin-off activity, where the students are to translate their reaction to the whole passage or any portion of it into any genre and present it to the others. Once the students have come to grips with the essence of the reading passage, they are to formulate their own question which needs further probing into as a free writing or academic writing piece. An outline of the writing is done in groups and monitored by the facilitator while leaving the complete writing as a take-home assignment