A Study On English Reading Teaching Of Higher-grade Pupils Based On English Picture Books

Reading is not only an important skill in the process of language learning but the major part of language teaching as well. With the popularization of English course in primary schools, the teaching of English reading is being given more and more attention. However, due to the problems such as big-sized class, limited class hours and shortage of English reading materials, reading teaching in primary school still faces a great challenge. As English picture books have color pictures and are well illustrated with simple and repeated language, they become more and more popular with pupils. In that case, how to use English picture books to improve pupils‘ reading interest and reading ability is a research topic worthy of study.The language input hypothesis theory, cognitive theory and schema theory are used as the theoretical basis of the study. In order to collect adequate amount of valid data and ensure the reliability and validity of the research results, the experimental research method is used as the main research method, supplemented by other research instruments such as literature analysis, the classroom observation, test and the questionnaire. The study mainly involves the following three research questions:(1) Can English picture books stimulate pupils‘ reading motivation and interest?(2) Can English picture books help improve pupils‘ reading comprehension ability?(3) In the process of English picture books reading, can the permeation of reading strategies help improve pupils‘ reading comprehension ability?In this study, 120 pupils are chosen as the research participants. They are from the two classes(grade five) in Penglai No.2 Experimental Primary School taught by the author. Because the average English score of the two classes are identical based on the pre-test, and the result analysis shows that there is no significant difference, they are randomly designated as the experimental class and the control class. The experimental class is taught by the new teaching method of using English picture books as the auxiliary reading materials. The control class is taught by the traditional teaching method, using the textbook as the only reading material.The analysis of the related data shows that English picture books can be integrated into the English reading teaching in primary school. As the complement and extension to the teaching materials, and through the effective reading strategies in English reading, the maximization of teaching benefits can be realized.The major findings are as follows:1. English picture books can be integrated into the English reading teaching in primary school. As the complement and extension to the teaching materials, English picture books are very different from the textbooks. Pupils can enjoy the reading procedure. Pupils are not required to master some grammar rules, but they learn the language unconsciously. Reading English picture books can stimulate pupils’ reading motivation effectively, which will give them successful experience in the process of reading, and cultivate their enduring interests.2. Reading English picture books can help pupils to expand their vocabulary, and the enlargement of the vocabulary will help pupils read new passages. At the same time, rich reading is good for language development, which can also help improve pupils’ reading comprehension ability.3. In the process of picture books reading, using appropriate teaching strategies and techniques can improve pupils’ reading comprehension ability.Finally, based on the experiment and the research results, the author made some suggestions on the methods of the selection and teaching strategies of English picture books. The basic rule of choosing English picture book is arousing pupils‘ reading interest and corresponding with pupils‘ cognitive characters.