For many years, three basic definitions of reading have driven literacy programs in the United States (Foertsch,

1998). According to the first definition, learning to read means learning to pronounce words. According to the second definition, learning to read means learning to identify words and get their meaning. According to the third definition, learning to read means learning to bring meaning to a text in order to get meaning from it. Although these definitions reflect long-standing views of reading, current literacy research supports a more comprehensive definition of reading. This new definition includes all of the above definitions and places learning skills in the context of authentic reading and writing activities. It recognizes the importance of skill instruction as one piece of the reading process (Allington & Cunningham, 1996; International Reading Association & National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998; Maryland State Department of Education, n.d.; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). It also supports balanced reading instruction for all students (Allington & Cunningham, 1996; Au, 1993; Foertsch, 1998; International Reading Association & National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). All the skills and strategies required in learning to read cannot be acquired all at once . Learning to read is a developmental process . At different stages , different things are given special focus . Generally , four stages are recognized : reading readiness , early reading , developmental reading and mature reading . We are focusing on the first three stages of learning to read which involved the pre-school and phase 1 pupils . Why is reading important? It is how we discover new things. Reading is vital in developing a good self image. Being able to read is a crucial skill in being able to function in today's society. It is important because it develops the mind and develops the imagination. A person who knows how to read can educate themselves in any area of life they are interested in. Non readers or poor readers often have low opinions of themselves and their abilities. They feel isolated and behaviour problems can surface. As we live in an age overflowing with information, reading is the main way to take advantage of it. It is common for both approaches to reading to be used in the same class. For example, where extensive reading is encouraged, the teacher may have all the students read the same text so they

can discuss the topic together or learn a specific skill such as as writing an outline. In a class where intensive reading is mostly used, students may be asked to read texts of their own choosing to report back on, in either an oral or written format. In both approaches, it is not the nature of the skills that are of most interest but rather, the results. There are several types of reading skills may occurs in the classroom . Such as scanning , skimming , predicting , preview and paraphrasing . Teaching reading involves teaching basic word , phrase and sentence recognition , as well as the ability to retrieve information contain in texts . Teaching reading , means enabling a person to acquire the skills , strategies and attitudes required to make sense of text . Reading aim can centre around the development of any aspect of skilled reading ; improving motivation , increasing awareness of different reading purposes , developing different reading strategies and also improving comprehension skills . This essay will tell about the justification of selection materials that will be used for two week period lesson . For the first step of preparing the materials for the reading lesson , I choose the rhymes , picture with song and the simple story . All these materials I got from the web , story book , magazine and also from the textbook provided . These materials are used for the Year 1 pupils which will learn the early reading or on other word the first step of reading lesson . This step of reading lesson is to develop the knowledge of the English Language so that the pupils can understand what they read . It is also used as the motivation to learn to read in English . Besides , these materials also used as the method to identify the ability to discriminate between shapes so that the pupils can recognize the letters and words when they begins to learn to read and also as the recognition that print has meaning just as talk has meaning . In this reading lesson , I choose the World of Knowledge as the theme which contain skimming , scanning , preview , recognition and paraphrasing as the skills that will be taught to the pupils . For the teaching materials , I used flash cards with and without words , picture cards , textbook and magazine . Why I am using these materials for my teaching of reading ? This is because the flash cards either with words or without words are simple but interesting . My pupils is the Year 1 pupils which I think they are still in early reading process and learning . Besides its illustrations

and colour interested my pupils to learn reading . My teaching materials also related with my exercises . I also use the textbook and magazine approach for my reading lesson which I think it should be carry out in the classroom . This is because recent research has shown that children who learn to read at home are successful readers than those who learn to read in school . In this approach , learning to read can take place at the same time as learning the language itself . As a teacher , we dont have to wait until the learner knows at least some language before teaching him or her how to read . The pictures , mime and other support systems enable the pupils to understand what they read . All the children love stories and so motivation to learn this method is likely to be high . Texts selected for intensive reading are usually disjointed . Stories complement or poems providing wholes rather than excerpts . Stories , poems and rhymes used provide a context for all learning activities . For example , they allow natural integration of listening , speaking , reading and writing and they allow the study of language rules and vocabulary within a meaningful context . Teaching reading to the young pupils can be a very challenging experience. It is also a humbling experience wherein the teacher needs to be as much a learner willing to be part of her or his pupils learning experience. He or she needs to be flexible with his or her teaching materials and methods, try to make the classroom atmosphere less threatening for the pupils . This can make teaching and learning more rewarding both for the teacher and the pupils respectively.

REFERENCES 1. Alderson , C & Urquhart , A.H. ( ed ). (1984) . Reading in a Foreign Language .Longman : London 2. Nuttall, C.( 1982 ). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language . ELBS/Heinemann Educational Books : London 3. Pearson, P.D & Johnson , D.D (1972) . Teaching Reading Comprehension . Holt , Rinehart and Winston : USA 4. Ministry of Education Malaysia . ( 1991 ) . COMPENDIUM : A Handbook for ELT Teachers . Volume 1 . Chapter 4 & 5 . 5. Nesamalar Chitravelu , Saratha Sithamparam , Teh Soo Choon ( 2000 ) . ELT Methodology : Principle and Practise . Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn Bhd : Shah Alam , Selangor Darul Ehsan . 6. Sarah a/p M.Ganasegaram , Norehan Bt Mohd Nooh , Nabina a/p Puhpanathan ( 2011 ) . English Year 1 Sekolah Kebangsaan Textbook . Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka : Kuala Lumpur . 7. ABCs of Teaching Reading http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/ 8. Shared Reading http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/nationalstrategy/literacy/index.php?category_id=62 9. Reading worksheets http://www.elcivics.com/worksheets/esl-worksheets.html 10.