Reading Comprehension 1
Extension Activities
These are activities that tutors can ask learners to do after reading a story.
Have the learner write a letter to the author with thoughts/questions/praise that the
learner has about the book. Send the letter to the author with an address where the
author can respond.
Have the learner write a review of a book he has read and send it to the
www.amazon.com website. If you don’t have access to a computer at the tutoring
site, you can always have the child write the review, and you post it via the Internet
(and take him a copy of your posting). Then when the review appears on-line, you
can print that out and take it to the learner – or look at it together online.
Invite the learner to write something about the book he just read: change the ending;
write about a favorite part or character; or make up a new story with the same
characters or same problem.
Have your learner write a copycat story. Write a story that is a take-off of a story you
have just read. For example, if you just read, “There was an old lady who swallowed
a fly,” then your learner might write, “There was an old cow who swallowed some
hay.”
Have the learner make a poster to advertise a book he read. He should include
interesting facts about the story on the poster. The tutor can ask the learner’s teacher
to hang the poster in the classroom.
On index cards, have your learner illustrate and describe key scenes from a story he
has read. You and the learner should re-read the story together. Then mix up the
index cards and try to put them back in order of how these scenes occurred in the
story.
Have the learner write a sequel to a story he just read. “What do you think happened
next?”
Have the student draw a picture of what happens after the story ends.
Have the learner create a book cover for the book, where on the front is a new cover
that the learner has designed, and on the back is a summary/review of the book
that the learner has written.
Have the learner pick their favorite character out of the book and write a short story
around this character in a new adventure.
Play a "stump the tutor" game where the learner comes up with questions regarding
the book, and the tutor has to try and answer them.
Have the learner write a story from the perspective of one of the characters in the
book.
Have learner imagine that they are in the story as an extra character and write what
happens.
Have the learner guess what main characters might have in their pockets, handbags,
or desk drawers.
Have the learners think of a theme song for the book and explain why they chose that
song.
Have the learner write a letter from one character to another.
Have the learner make a "Wanted" poster for one of the characters.
Reading Comprehension 2
Have the learner write an interview or think of interview questions for a character.
Play a guessing game - give clues or have the learner come up with clues - and
you have to guess which character he/she is describing.
Have the learner create a comic strip (with dialogue and pictures) that tells part of the
story.
Have the learner illustrate one situation in the story, and write what is happening in
the picture in his/her own words.
Have the learner design a game based on the story or words/topics in the story.
Have the learner create a commercial for the story, and then act it out.
Have the learner write a poem or song based on a character or event in the story.
Retell the story by acting it out or creating puppets to tell the story.
