Ideas for teaching READING in Japanese

Ideas for teaching Japanese reading including hiragana, katakana, kanji and words or sentences.

Japanese magazines
Monthly subscriptions are available from http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/magazine/index.html

In-class activities for READING

Board scramble 
Tt writes various hiragana scrambled all over the board.  Divide the class into two teams.  Allocate one of the Ss to yell out a hiragana (or yell out a definition of a word).  The Ss race to circle the correct hiragana or word.  The person who circles it first wins a point for their team.  (Can be also done with kanji or vocabulary.)

Board slaps L Brandis   
Split the class into two (or more) teams.  Line the teams at the back of the class giving each team one fly swat.  Write words on the board.  (While you are doing this, or after you’ve finished give the Ss a few minutes to revise the meanings of the words.) Read the meaning of a word the first team to run and slap the word on the board gets a point. Extra: can review reading hiragana/kanji)

Run and erase
Write vocabulary you wish to revise on the board.  Divide the class into two teams.  Allocate a runner for each team.  Tt defines a word or shows a flashcard and the Ss then run to the board and erase (or draw a circle) around that word.  The person to first do this gets a point.  The team with the most points at the end is the winner.

Running Dictation Groups  D Powell
Pin up a piece of reading. Divide the class into teams of two or more.  Allocate a scribe and a runner.  The runner must run to the reading remember the first sentence then run back to their team.  Tell the scribe the sentence who then writes it down.  The teams then swap jobs.  A new runner and a new scribe.  Continue until the entire reading is complete.  The first team to complete gets 5 points.  Second gets 4 and so on.  Then the Tt reads the script or puts a copy of it onto the OHT.  Ss check what they have written.  1 point is allocated for each correct sentence or vocabulary.  The group with the most points at the end wins.

Useful websites for teaching Japanese READING

Essays                
http://www.mori7.com/okap/index.php?p=517986
Example essays written by Japanese primary and junior-high school students.

Furigana           
http://www.hiragana.jp/en/
Add furigana to websites

HSC (High school Certificate) reading texts
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/japanese/
Various reading texts on topics including: personal world, daily life, leisure, future plans, travelling in Japan, living in Japan, cultural life, the world of work, current issues, skills aimed at Year 12 HSC students.

Interactive readers (High school level)
http://info.ccw.vic.edu.au/lote/lang/main.htm
Interactive units on: getting around, famous places, famous Japanese folktales, preparing for school, shopping, telephone messages, ordering at a restaurant, weather, seasons, food, body and parts, my day, my room, my family etc etc.

Interactive reader
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ads/showcase/examples/_lesson17-package/movie.html
One reading activity on travel in Japan with audio, questions, vocabulary and exercises.

Manga strips      
http://www.ak.cradle.titech.ac.jp/Rise/index.htm
Manga with audio

Sazaesan Profiles 
http://www.sazaesanitiba.com/
Profiles of characters and family tree

Stories                        
http://www.e-hon.jp/demo1/index1.htm
E-book old tales in Japanese

Ehon                    
http://www.ohanashiehon.com/
Colourful Japanese online e-books.

Yookosoo Textbook 2 Resources
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072408162/student_view0/chapter1/
Short reading exercises with comprehension questions, listening activities, grammar questions on various topics including: travel, at home, automobiles and transportation, the body and health, life and careers, communication and media, nature and culture.

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