Part I: reading promotion

The suggestions for exercises and teaching in this part are divided into four sections:

Meeting books and texts

Suggestions for exercises 1–8: The particular focus is to become acquainted with different books and texts as an important element of reading motivation.

Reading and understanding of books and texts

Teaching suggestions 9-11: This area focuses on reading per se and shows examples of how to create diversified reading lessons and how students can plan and reflect on their own reading process.

Report from readings

Teaching suggestions 12–17: This section deals primarily with reflecting on what has been read, i.e., the discussion about contents. It offers various proposals about how to share reading experiences in class.

Reflecting on readings

Teaching suggestions 18–19: The two teaching suggestions in this rubric support the important competence of student’s ability to assess themselves and their abilities and to become aware of of their reading habits and preferences. This contributes to the students‘ growth as independent and mature readers.

1. Reading out loud as a ritual

Procedure: Each HLT unit (e.g. a weekly double lesson) begins with a sequence of reading out loud. The students sit comfortably while the instructors read from a book to the class for at least 15 minutes. …

2. Establishing a small library in the first language

Procedure: The project is started as a shared enterprise. We want to create a small library of a wide variety of texts (books, picture books, reference books, etc.) in our own language. To be clarified: …

3. Checking out books at institutions like “Bibliomedia”

Procedure: An institution’s library holdings in the students’ first language are collectively reviewed and discussed. Appropriate materials are selected and an order is placed. Upon receipt of the books, the students may take them home …

4. A library visit

Procedure: Most libraries are happy to receive classes and to introduce them to the library systems. Many libraries, most of all the larger ones, hold titles in various languages to lend. The trip to the …

5. Book domino

Procedure: A stack of books is distributed in class, so that every student (or group of 2–3 students) has three to four books each in front of them. The age of the students must of …

6. The first sentences

Procedure: The first sentence is of vital importance for many authors, and quite often for the readers as well. The students look in books and magazines for those first sentences that they like particularly well. …

7. Developing hypotheses

Procedure: The students read in teams of two the beginning (e.g., the first chapter or the first page) of a story. The material can also be read or told in part or its entirety to …

8. Books in goody bags

Procedure: The instructor places one book for each student into a bag, made of colorful gift wrap paper (subsequently this can also be done by older students). All these goodie bags are then placed into …

9. Free reading sequences (individual readings)

Procedure: The free reading sequence lasts 20–30 minutes; it can be complemented with a discussion where all students report about their readings, ask questions, or make recommendations. Suggestions: Free reading sequences should take place regularly. This works …

10. Reading out loud and creating recordings for others

Procedure: First, the teacher explains to the students what constitutes “beautiful” expressive reading out loud, which is then practiced. The teacher may read a short text to model poor and good reading (e.g. in boring, …

11. Reading in groups or as a class

Procedure: reading phase (for methodical procedures, see below)Variant 1: All students read the same book or text. This variant is attractive in terms of the common reading experience, but is presumed to be suitable for …

12. Who can guess my book?

Procedure: Every student selects a book or a text. The other students must not see what book it is. Beginners may select a picture book. The instructor makes a list where the students “secretly” record …

13. Riddle string

Procedure: Individual work: The students select a text that interests them from a previously prepared stack of books. They read the text intently and take notes of questions which can only be answered upon fully …

14. Developing questions about texts

Procedure: After reading a story, an article, or a whole book, the class is divided into groups of two. The group’s assignment is to develop questions about the content and the central argument of the …

15. Creating an ad poster for a book

Procedure: The project will be announced two to three weeks in advance. The students are asked to select a book for which they want to create an ad and to bring it to class. Additionally, …

16. “Book Slam”

Procedure: The instructor explains the terms “slam” and “book slam” (see below) two to three weeks in advance. S/he informs the class about the project and the necessary preparations:Students must decide (alone or in groups …

17. “Book Dating”

Procedure: PreparationFollowing the instructor’s explanation of the term and the project, each student decides on a book or a text. The content is then quickly summarized (either in writing with a few keywords) as a …

18. Reading out loud: a self-evaluation

Procedure: After reading aloud, students fill out a self-evaluation form. The fields in the grid can only be partially or gradually colored (from top to bottom). This self-assessment is then compared with the teacher, who suggests …

19. Rethinking one’s own reading

Procedure: Each student completes a questionnaire. The instructor collects them and provides individual feedback to the students. These discussions do not have to take place immediately and can occur little by little during HLT classroom instruction. Remarks: It …

Additional aspects specifically related to reading in the heritage language education classroom

Reading out loud as a ritual

Explanations, abbreviations
First language	Also mother tongue or family language: the first language a child has learned and speaks at home. Some children have two first languages.
School language	The language that is spoken in the schools of the host country. In addition, the local dialect may count as an environment language.
Abbreviations	S: Student T: Teacher (instructor)

Legend for indications referencing organizational form, class, time requirements concerning teaching proposals:
	IW = Individual Work
	WP = Working with a partner
	SG = Small Groups
	WC = Whole Class
2nd – 4th grade	Suitable for... to... (e.g. 2nd – 4th grade). Keeping in mind that this designation may vary according to the requirements of the individual students.
20 minutes	Approximate time requirement, e.g. 20 minutes. (Estimated time varies, must be determined by the instructor according to the level and the requirements of the class).

I. Part I: reading promotion