As a teacher, one of your most important responsibilities is to ensure that all of your students are receiving the most benefit from their class time. For students who are not yet fluent in English, silent reading can be a great way to improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension. However, not all students benefit from silent reading in the classroom.
Many students who are not yet proficient in English find that they learn more effectively when they are actively engaged in the class discussion. In fact, a recent study found that students who are actively engaged in class discussions are three times more likely to achieve academic success than students who are only silent readers.
If you are not yet confident in your student’s ability to participate in class discussions, it may be best to stick to silent reading in their class. However, if you are confident that your student is not yet fluent in English, you can still use silent reading to improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension. Just be sure to allow your student to participate in class discussions as much as possible to ensure that they are receiving the most benefit from their time in class.
