Observation Task 2: Reading a Story in the local UAE School

What the MST Does

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.

What the Children Do

Name of the story [The Very Sit down quietly on the

Hungry Caterpillar] by Eric circle center carpet.
Carle.
Listen to the teachers
Plays the story song and
introduction.
sing along with it.
Sometimes they had to
Show them the story and
watch the story on the
read the title first.
television.
Asks students to be quiet
and listen to the story.
If the story was on the
screen she pauses each time
and ask them questions.

Listen and watch the

story.

Answer and ask

After finishing the story, she questions
starts to explain it for them.

She will read the title and

ask the students what do
you think will happened,
lets see together if what
you said is right or not.
At the end she asks some
questions.

Answer the questions

Comments
I prefer when she reads them the
story by her own because on the
English class the television is not in
front the children.

The good thing was that she

showed them the video then she
repeats some important parts, while
explaining it.

I liked that she explain the picture of the

for them.

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?
Before the story start she review the previous lesson and when they
finish she asked them to set quietly, and told them that they will listen to
the story and, she will ask them questions so they need to focus.
a. How did the pre-listening activity help students understand?
Students knows already what the story will be about.
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?
Because they know the story already, they take it in the Arabic class, so they
were well organized and were able to understand it well in English.
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?
Students were able to understand the story well and they were excited to tell the
teacher what will happened next on the story, so they memorized it well since
they take it twice.
4. How many times did the learners listen to the text / recording?
They listen to the whole story once and for the important pars twice.

a. Would it have increased their understanding if they had been

allowed to listen to the recording again? Explain.
Yes, because the first time they listen to the story they still not familiar
with the story but when they listen to it again they will be able to
understand more.
b. Did the learners hear the whole text at once, or in parts?

They listen to it at once then they repeat the important parts.

c. If so, which was the most helpful?
When the teacher asks them questions and repeat the parts for them was helpful,
because the students were able to understand more.

The advantages and disadvantages of using the model of pre -, while and post-listening activ itie s to teach a listening lesson
(Teachers perspective in blue, students perspective in grey)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Pre-Listening

The teacher

Students was

On my opinion

Students will

Activities

didnt have to

exited while

students will not

ignore the teacher

pause the story

telling the

be able to focus

and the story,

because it will

teacher what

if she pauses

they will lose

distract the

will happened

each time and

interest to hear

students and

next since the

explain or ask

the rest of it.

because the

take it before.

them what

While-Listening

students

happened, so its

already take

better to keep the

the story on

question to the

Arabic.
Teacher can

By answering

end.
The teacher will

Students will get

Activities

evaluate her

the questions,

lose students

bored and wont

students by the

the student will attention on the

focus on the

questions.

be able to

story.

story.

The teacher

Students wont

understand
Post-Listening

By asking

more.
Students will

Activities

questions the

understand

wont be able to

listen to the

teacher will be

more by

evaluate all of

questions since

able to know

answering the

them, because

they listen to the

which student

questions.

some of them

story and know

did understand

know the answer

the answers

the story and

but they keep it

already.

which one

to themselves.

didnt.