Richard-Amato outlines four topics, starting with LEA, Language Experience Approach. In my Reading Development class, we talked about using this strategy with emerging readers. It is not surprising to find that it is also helpful to foreign language learners. Richard-Amato next discusses literature-based curriculum, which as we have seen repeatedly is a rich resource (Moeller for example). It is important to remember however that reading should be made as actively interactive as possible. In chapter 5, Richard-Amato discusses the way in which reading is an interactive activity (see chart for creating meaning with others, with other texts and experiences). In this chapter, journaling, prediction strategies among other types of reading guides are recommended.
Motivation and guidance are the two key components that run through this chapter. To motivate students, I think it can helpful to offer choices. For example, in the classroom I observe, the students partipate in a silent reading activity for ten minutes on Thursday and Friday. My teacher gives them the option of choosing what to read, and he offers a very, very wide selection from comics to classic texts, which allows the students to find what interests them and to see that it can all be done in French, too!
