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Among
many factors which lead an extensive reading program to success, materials
that learners read play one of the most important roles (Day & Bamford,
1998). This study investigated the effectiveness of picture books designed
for L1 children in improving EFL high school students’ reading
proficiency. In Japan extensive reading program has rapidly been gaining
popularity among people of all ages for the last decade by starting
reading with simple stories (SSS). The SSS method encourages learners
to start reading easy picture books at the beginning of ER. By reading
an abundance of easy stories, learners become able to recognize words
automatically, and their reading speed increases, which enables learners
to shift smoothly to higher levels of books. By completing many books
students feel a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence however
easy the books are. In this study, a total of 24 students participated
in extensive reading for one academic year. They took SLEP (Secondary
Level English Proficiency) Test at the beginning and the end of the
program. Having difficulty in reading even the easiest graded readers,
they were provided with an abundance of easy picture books written for
L1 children. Attracted by pictures, big letters, and easy English, they
read 226 picture books on the average in one year. Compared to the group
of students from the former year, who scored higher in the pre-SLEP
Test and read less picture books but more graded readers of higher levels,
the participants of the current study showed a greater improvement in
English reading proficiency. They surpassed the former group in the
post-SLEP Test scores, even though the amount of their reading was smaller.
The results suggest that reading an abundance of easy picture books
is more effective in improving beginner readers’ English proficiency
than reading books of higher levels. |