Table 7: ‘Reading a Story in the local UAE Preschool
What the MST Does What the Children Do
Pre-Reading
Activities
Name the book / story.
Describe how your MST gets
children interested in the
story and wanting to hear /
read it.
While-Reading
Activities
How your MST keeps
children interested and
actively involved.
Post-Reading Activities
How your MST consolidates
the storyline and explores
opportunities for developing
language, topic related and
personal, social and
emotional issues.
Comments
- She took the - The start to think - The students
students outside to and discovers the were active
see the sky and sky and describe and liked to
asked them. (Can what they see. study outside
anyone see stars in - Answer the the classroom.
the morning?) teacher.
- Then she showed
them the story and
told what the story
will be about.
- While she is - The students - The MST
reading the story were listening to should explain
she was playing a the teacher and the difficult
video about the try to understand words and
stars and had a the story. take breaks
discussion with the when she read.
students.
- She asked them - They answered
some simple the teacher. And
question. And try tell her the story
to summarized the in Arabic.
story and make it - They tried to
easier for them. draw a rocket
- Then she asked the and a boy.
students to draw
what they
understood from
the story on the I
pads.
Reflections on Observation Task 2: Reading a Story in the Local UAE Preschool

1. What preparation (i.e. pre-listening activity) did the teacher give the learners
before they listened to the text?
- She took the students outside the classroom to see what is in the sky. Then
before she starts to read the story she showed them flash cards about the
story characters.

If they had some preparation, select (a) if they did not, select (b).

a. How did the pre-listening activity help students understand?

- They linked the story to the real life, and that what mad the story be easier
for them.
b. What pre-listening activity could the teacher have used to help students
understand the target language better?
- I think the MST activity was exciting for the children.
2. Were the learners engaged in while-listening activity/activities? If they were, select (a); if
they were not, select (b).

a. What were the aims of the while-listening activity/activities?

b. What while-listening activity/activities could the teacher have used to

help learners understand better what they were listening to?
- Showing them videos or make a solid of the story characters
and asked from them to say the story by their ways.

3. Did the learners have a post-listening activity/activities? If they did, select (a); if
they did not, select (b).

a. What were the aims of the post-listening activity/activities?

- The aim is to know the new vocabulary in the story.
b. What post-listening activity/ activities might have helped the learners to
understand what they had heard better?
 4. How many times did the learners listen to the text / recording?

b. Would it have increased their understanding if they had been allowed to

listen to the recording again? Explain.

c. Did the learners hear the whole text at once, or in parts? Parts.
If so, which was the most helpful? I think in parts more helpful for the kg
students because they need time to understand an English story.

Think about the advantages and disadvantages of using the model of pre-, while- and post-
listening activities to teach a listening lesson. Write first from the perspective of the teacher
and then from the perspective of the learners.

The advantages from the perspective of the teacher, that will make the students
understand the lesson better and get some new skills in listening. Also the teacher
will achieve the learning outcomes. The disadvantage is doing this will take a long
time to finish all the lessons.

The advantages from the perspective of the learners, The students will enjoy and
concentrate with the teacher.