Reading
I think that reading in English improves the understanding of language significantly.
First of all - accuracy and fluency. Even though we are not conscious about it, we finally see all the vocabulary in context, in the correct word order, used with appropriate prepositions… Finally all the weird rules start to make sense.
Second of all, reading in English teaches us that even though we do not know all the words, we are able to guess the meaning anyway. This is a crucial ability in every day life, when it is impossible to know all the words, and we have to deal with the fact that sometimes we just have to guess.
Third of all, reading, regardless whether in mother language, second language or in foreign language, boosts creativity, enhances vocabulary and helps to relax.
As I learned from the lesson, teaching reading is one of the easiest, yet the most time consuming activities. However, teaching reading usually goes hand in hand with teaching vocabulary and grammar, so it is time well spent.
Activities
Scrambled Sentences
Write or print a text or a dialogue on a paper and then cut it into strips with one sentence per strip. Ask the students to assemble the sentences into coherent text or dialogue. For this reading comprehension activity, students can work in teams and the winning team should be the first to put the sentences together.
I found this activity on a website https://blog.vipkid.com.cn/esl-reading-comprehension-activities/ and I think it is very nice and simple to prepare, also it could be adapted to any level of English.
Example for B1:
Tom has a cat | with green eyes.
If I were you, | I would study for the exam.
We will stay at home, | if it rains tomorrow.
I have an exam on Monday, | so I cannot go out on Sunday.
This activity could be also great as a group formation activity, because it makes students find other people with the rest of their sentence; with these example sentences, they could create pairs, although it would be quite time consuming.
Story talk
Talking about what you read is another way to help children develop language and thinking skills. You won't need to plan the talk, discuss every story, or expect an answer.
What you'll need:
Storybooks
What to do:
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Read slowly and pause occasionally to think aloud about a story. You can say: "I wonder what's going to happen next!" Or ask a question: "Do you know what a palace is?" Or point out: "Look where the little mouse is now."
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Answer your children's questions, and if you think they don't understand something, stop and ask them. Don't worry if you break into the flow of a story to make something clear. But keep the story flowing as smooth as possible.
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Talking about stories they read helps children develop their vocabularies, link stories to everyday life, and use what they know about the world to make sense out of stories.
source: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/25-activities-reading-and-writing-fun