Research has shown that children who are exposed to Extensive Reading from a young age not only excel in academic skills, but also develop empathy, moral judgement and become culturally sensitive. Equipping students to explore diverse perspectives has never been more crucial in this day and age. Bennett (1986) proposes six stages of acculturation that learners can move through to gain greater cultural awareness. With constant exposure, they develop their own personal ideas, ultimately assimilating the culture of others into their own worldview. In this presentation, we will explore theories of “Cultural Development” and the cultural trajectories in the students’ learning journey to assimilation using themes from Eli’s Real Lives Series Graded Readers as a stepping stone. At the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of how to utilise Graded Readers for all CEFR levels.

L2 English learners have been blessed with a wealth of research and resources to address various issues in reading comprehension and fluency development, but the same level of attention has not been paid to the issue of “laddering up” to independent reading in other languages. For Japanese, there is the additional barrier of kanji on top of the potential barriers to reading texts written for L1 speakers such as vocabulary, grammar and cultural knowledge. This presentation will discuss these issues as well as introducing some of the available tools and potential solutions that can assist learners to reach independent reading, such as the use of Aozora Bunko and the JLEX lexical analyser. In particular, it will focus on fostering learner reading outside of the classroom, given that the large volumes of text required to achieve independent reading are best done outside of class hours, with some in-class support.

In this session the presenters will discuss the process of writing graded readers from an initial idea, to writing and editing, and to finally getting the books into the hands of students in both paper and digital formats. Where do stories come from? How do we ‘find’ stories and tell them in an engaging and interesting way? We will detail the steps that have worked for us — from ‘story,’ format, length, level, editing and illustrations, to publishing steps and options, including ISBN numbers — all while trying to keep abreast of the rapid advancement of online tools. Mistakes have been made and lessons have been learned. We share where we are today in this journey in the desire to support burgeoning writers.

This presentation explores the growing trend of graded reading materials globally, focusing on graded picture books as ideal for young foreign language learners. It examines the limitations of traditional readers, highlights successful series like Kids Town from Korea, Climbing English from China and addresses challenges such as the lack of standards and the need for comprehensive databases.

This panel discussion brings together experienced graded reader authors to explore the unique challenges of creating engaging and impactful fiction and non fiction while working within strict linguistic constraints. The session will also examine what the key priorities for writers are, what opportunities and challenges the genre offers, and how teachers themselves can delve into the art of crafting stories of their very own for their students.

This talk is for people thinking about writing or self-publishing graded readers. It will reflect on my experiences writing over 25 published graded readers. The talk will start by outlining my teaching context and experience running extensive reading programs for over ten years at a Japanese university. It will then cover how the reading challenges some of my learners were facing motivated me to write graded readers. The talk will then outline how I became a published graded reader author and then later an independent publisher of graded readers. Later, the talk will reflect on the challenges of writing material for lower-proficiency-level young adult readers. It will also look at tools and platforms useful for starting out in self-publishing including editing and grading text, cover design and audio, getting ISBNs, and publishing print and eBooks on different platforms.

This presentation will discuss the neccessity and significance of setting up an assessment system for an ER programme for young learners. Although the aim of extensive reading is to read for pleasure, it is important for teachers to know the reading level of the students at different stages of the ER programme in order to assess students' progress and to reflect on the programme itself. Some tools and methods for diagnostic testing, periodic assessment and evaluation will be presented. The advantages and limitations of different assessment tools will also be discussed.

Graded readers are widely recognized as an enjoyable and effective tool for EFL learners to develop key language skills such as reading fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and overall confidence. These readers come in various forms—fiction, nonfiction, and adapted classic literature. In this presentation, I will focus on classic readers, which serve as accessible gateways to timeless stories and literary styles. Classic readers not only help learners engage with literature in a manageable way but also offer insights into diverse cultures, historical contexts, and worldviews, enriching the language learning experience. Together, we will explore practical classroom activities and share ideas on how to foster positive associations with reading through the use of classic graded readers.

The ERF Graded Reader List is an online database featuring English graded readers from over 30 major publishers. Data for each book include publisher, series, word count, headwords, level (publisher, CEFR), genre, format, awards, etc. The main database consists of a separate Google Sheets file for each publisher. A companion, all-in-one list includes a limited set of data for all books in one searchable Google Sheets file, viewable on mobile devices. This presentation will provide an overview of the history and features of the List, as well as thoughts on continuing development. Discussion will focus on how the list might be improved, particularly on ways in which current technology could enhance its usefulness and functionality for educators and learners.

Research into the pedagogical benefits of Extensive Reading has bloomed in the last decade, yet socio-cultural content of ER materials has not received similar attention. While there is a significant body of literature related to gender in ELT textbooks, research into gender representation in English-language graded readers is nearly non-existent. The presenters worked to address this gap through a collaborative, two-pronged study of English graded readers. A set of narrative fiction readers and another of non-fiction readers, including titles from several publishers, were selected while considering relevance in the researchers' teaching context. The researchers examined and coded the visual and textual content in the selected readers for gendered representations and used content analysis to build a description of each set, then compared and contrasted the respective data. This session will present the findings in detail, explore the implications for instructors and ER programs, and note further avenues for related research.

Most Extensive Reading Practitioners are familiar with the ten “principles” of extensive reading listed in Day & Bamford (2002) and elsewhere. This paper, however, will suggest that we can have our students read more by ignoring some of the principles.

The only principle that cannot be violated is their #4, “Learners read as much as possible” since this is the very definition of Extensive Reading, but breaking some of the other nine may allow the students more practice. For example, one rule states that “The reading material is easy,” yet a vocabulary list provided along the text would allow students to understand more difficult material. This will expand what is available for them to read but adds more work for the teacher. In the above manner, we will discuss the various “characteristics” and suggest reasons for not following them in order to provide more reading material for your students.

How can we get reluctant readers to pick up a book and read? It is simple, give them something interesting to read! Speedy Readers is a brand-new series published by Oxford University Press specifically designed for teenagers. They are short, leveled to CEFER and cover a range of current topics from popular video games and movies to influencers and life hacks. They are also 100% digital with audio and short videos to enhance the reading experience. Come and join this session to experience Speedy Readers for yourself.

Experts claim that extensive reading (ER) is an essential practice in language education. But students often consume texts passively, so how can we help learners engage more actively with stories and texts to deepen comprehension and retention? In this workshop, we’ll apply the MINDSETS Framework, an evidence-based approach that guides learners through eight generative learning strategies: Mapping, Imagining, Narrating (self-explaining), Drawing, Summarizing, Enacting, Teaching, and Self-testing. These strategies move learners beyond passive reading, fostering deeper comprehension, effortful retrieval practice, and long-term retention. Participants will experience hands-on activities using MINDSETS techniques to enrich ER practice, mapping key ideas, summarizing creatively, enacting scenes, peer teaching, and self-testing. Through structured exercises and discussion, attendees will leave with a clear actionable framework and practical, adaptable strategies to enhance ER instruction across various proficiency levels. Whether teaching younger learners or adults, this approach makes ER more interactive, reflective, impactful, and fun.

How can Extensive Reading (ER) be systematically leveraged to enhance writing and vocabulary skills at different proficiency levels? Based on six years of hands-on experience teaching students in a Korean academy, this session presents a step-by-step framework for integrating ER into writing and development across different learning stages. - Beginner: Building Foundations Guided Reading Responses – Using structured sentence starters to encourage early writing engagement. - Intermediate: Strengthening Skills Genre-Based Writing Tasks – Encouraging shadow writing from their reading and summaries, opinion pieces, and creative adaptations. - Advanced: Mastery and Expression Critical Analysis & Argumentative Writing – Developing independent thinking by engaging in comparative essays and theme-based writing. By following this structured approach, educators can effectively transform reading into a powerful tool for writing fluency and vocabulary expansion. Case study of students whose skills improved ensures that students not only absorb language but also actively produce and refine their linguistic abilities.

Despite the variety of graded-reader (GR) titles in the major European languages, in their search for a “genuine” reading experience many curious learners and teachers peek beyond these GR at authentic literature. Although “authentic” books might seem incomprehensible for Japanese low-to-intermediate-level learners of German, this search is worthwhile because there are few truly low-level GR available. A previous book analysis of the Gruffalo and the positive feedback from students concerning the enjoyability of such a challenging book further fuel prospects of authentic texts. Considering the Japanese setting this study analyses Manga and children's books for their suitability as extensive reading materials. Keeping an eye on the balance between supporting factors such as pictures, familiarity and shorter idea-units on the one hand, and the challenging grammar and vocabulary on the other, we will present book analyses trying to map out strategies to identify appropriate reading material.

Recently many publishers are increasingly disinterested in developing graded readers, and no longer prioritize promoting their existing graded reader catalogs, leading to these valuable resources becoming largely unavailable in bookstores worldwide.

This presentation will address this critical issue and propose a solution: educators, researchers, and passionate individuals must take the initiative to create graded readers themselves. By leveraging insights from language teaching and learning needs, this grassroots effort can fill the void left by publishers and ensure a continuous supply of accessible, engaging, and pedagogically sound materials. Practical strategies for independent graded reader development, including collaboration, funding, and digital distribution, will be discussed. The goal is to inspire a movement to sustain and revitalize extensive reading through proactive, community-driven efforts. This presentation will report on two major graded reader writing projects in Thailand and Indonesia and will show was attendees might get involved.

Until relatively recently few publishers, mostly the larger ones, published graded readers. However, in recent years there has been an explosion in the number of books available. Big companies, small companies and individual writer/publishers are producing some excellent books in graded format. These books cover a wide range of genres, such as adventure, romance, mystery, and non-fiction, to appeal to all types of reader. They are available at different levels, in different formats and wordcount. So, how do we know which books we can use in tandem with other classroom content? How do we recommend books to students? How can we create themed assignments? In this session, the presenters will give a brief, informative overview of the different series available by publisher giving participants a clearer idea of what is available in this market.