Motivating Young Learners to Read

The main point of this article is to suggest some ideas for the EFL teacher. Being one of the most important language skills, reading needs motivation. Adult learners of English are usually strongly motivated, but this can’t be said for young children. They like interesting stories, but reading in a foreign language is quite another kettle of fish. They should know not only the vocabulary, but the structures as well. A lot of exercises may be suggested for developing reading skills in English, but not all of them can make the children read the text just because they are interested in the process itself.

This article presents the story "Is This the House of Mistress Mouse?" by Richard Scarry. This story addresses young children and is perfect for teaching them English. The text has been “programmed” so that children can read and complete the tasks with enjoyment. They just have to read and follow the instructions. The passages of the text have been jumbled up and supplemented with tasks, like 'Answer the questions', 'Choose the correct variant' etc. Once the children have completed the task, they are given further instructions (‘Go to 5 or 7, etc.). Thus, step by step, the children read the text and do the exercises, which help them to understand the text.

The teacher must do all the preliminary exercises with the children before they start reading the text. He/She must be sure that the students know all the words in the story or can guess their meanings from the context.

The text is addressed to young children who can read. It may be also used with beginners of any age because the process of reading is interesting and it is a pleasure when you understand what you are reading.

This is the house of Mister Mouse. He lived all alone and he was very lonely. One day he received a letter from Mistress Mouse. The letter said: ‘Dear Mister Mouse, I am very lonely too. Will you please come and visit me? Love and kisses, Mistress Mouse.’

Mister Mouse said to himself, ‘I would like very much to visit Mistress Mouse but I don’t know where she lives. ‘However, I will just have to get into my little car and go look for her.’

a) Choose the correct variant:

Mr. Mouse was happy. (Go to 6)

Mr. Mouse was lonely. (Go to 9)

b) Answer the question: ‘Who sent him a letter?’

‘His brother.’ (Go to 15)

‘Mistress Mouse.’(Go to 3)

4.	You are right. It was the house of Mrs. HEN and her baby chicks. ‘Please don’t bother me. I am teaching my chicks to scratch,’ she said. (Go to 11 a).

5.	It was their BABY! He wanted to be kissed good night. ‘Good night, Daddy Mouse.’ ‘Good night, Mommy Mouse.’ ‘Good night, Baby Mouse.’ ‘Good night.’ (Go to 10a).

And so Mister Mouse traveled on until he came to a big castle house. He knocked on the castle door.

It was the castle of...

‘ROARRRRR!!!’

...the castle house of Mister L I O N!!

He was in a very bad temper because he had a very bad toothache. Mister Mouse raced away as fast as he could go!

a) Answer the question:

Did he knock on the castle of

* Mister Dog? (Go to 16)

* Mister Lion? (Go to 21)

b) Choose the correct variant:

Mister Lion was angry because he had

* a bad headache (Go to 13)

* a bad toothache (Go to 18)

10.

And so they were married by Preacher Mole. Mister Mouse gave Mistress Mouse a golden wedding ring with a bright diamond on top. And from that day on they were never lonely. They went on picnics. They took rides in the country. They went rowing on the lake.

And then one night, after they had finished their supper, they heard something. It was a tiny ‘squeak, squeak, squeak,’ coming from the bedroom.

What do you suppose it was that was squeaking? (Go to 5).

Answer the questions:

a) What kind of a wedding ring did Mister Mouse give Mistress Mouse? (Go to 24)

b) How did they spend their time? (Go to 2)

c) What did they hear one night? (Go to 17)

11.

What a cute little mouse,’ thought Mister Cat as he watched him speed away in his car. ‘I wonder why he was so frightened?’

But Mister Mouse knew better than to go into Mister Cat’s house. Didn’t he? Soon he came to a bright red barn. He knocked on the barn door. It was the house of ...

‘CUT-CUT-CUT-CU-DAHCUT’

Whose house was it? (Go to 4).

Answer the questions:

a) What did Mister Cat think when he saw Mister Mouse? (Go to 22)

b) Why was Mister Mouse frightened? (Go to 8)

c) Where did he come to? (Go to 14)

d) What was Mrs. Hen doing? (Go to 23)

12.

Finally he came to a cute little house on a lovely country lane. He knocked on the pretty little yellow door.

‘Is this the house of Mistress Mouse?’ he asked.

The door slowly opened.

Sure enough! It WAS the house of Mistress Mouse!

Mistress Mouse was so happy to see him. And Mister Mouse was so happy to see her.

‘Will you marry me so that we will never again be lonely?’ asked Mister Mouse.

‘Why, YES!‘ said Mistress Mouse.

Answer the questions:

a) Did Mr. Mouse find the house of Mistress Mouse? (Go to 26)

b) Did Mistress Mouse agree to marry Mr. Mouse? (Go to 19)

20.	‘There is a house just ahead,’ said Mister Mouse. ‘Perhaps that is where Mistress Mouse lives.’ He knocked on the door. ‘Is this the house of Mistress Mouse?’ he asked. Mister Mouse was very frightened for that was the house of.... ‘MEOWWWRRR!’ ...the house of Mister CAT!

Answer the question:

Was it the house of Mistress Mouse? (Go to 25.)

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