Reading Strategies by Carol Nichols/Metropolitan State College of Denver, [e-mail]

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Reading Strategies by Carol Nichols/Metropolitan
State College of Denver, nicholsc_at_mscd.edu

• Background and Cueing Systems, Part I

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CONTEXT

• Context in reading printed text is the
  surrounding words and the readers background
  experiences which fix the meaning of the word in
  question.
• Example The meaning of the word run is
  determined by the words that surround it (the
  context). The meaning is fixed by the other
  words. As the other words (the context) change,
  the meaning of run changes. Spot is in the dog
  RUN. She has a RUN in her nylons. Will he RUN
  for office? RUN to the store for me.

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Background

• CONTEXT One of the major props readers use to
  make predictions.
• The use of syntax and semantics is based on the
  readers ability to use context.
• i.e. The readers ability to predict what
  grammatical structure (syntax) is likely to come
  next in the text and his ability to predict what
  is likely to happen (what makes sense to happen
  next) are based on his ability to use context
  clues.

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SYNTACTIC CONTEXT

• Using syntax is using surrounding words and your
  own language background to predict what word
  would be grammatically acceptable. (Predicting
  what word would sound right using surrounding
  words.)
• EXAMPLE He saw a _____ in the tree. Using
  syntactic background and context, it can be
  predicted that a NOUN would be grammatically
  acceptable in this sentence. A noun would sound
  right.

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Use of Syntactic Context Clues

• Using syntactic context clues, we know that a
  noun would be grammatically acceptable (would
  sound right) in the example sentence.
• Any noun predicted would be grammatically
  acceptable, but not all nouns would make sense.
  To predict a noun that makes sense the reader
  needs to use SEMANTIC CONTEXT CLUES.

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SEMANTIC CONTEXT CLUES

• Using surrounding words and the experiences of
  the reader, predictions can be made as to what
  word has the right meaning, or makes sense in
  the sentence.
• Example He saw a _____ in the tree. Using
  syntax we predicted that a noun would sound
  right. Using semantics we can decide on
  specific nouns that makes sense.

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SEMANTIC CONTEXT CLUES

• When the reader uses semantic context clues to
  predict a word, he is using surrounding words and
  his own background experiences to predict a word
  that makes sense or has the right meaning.

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Syntactic and semantic context clues are used
together.

• A word can be syntactically acceptable but
  semantically unacceptable. Example He saw a
  car in the tree. Car is a noun so it is
  syntactically acceptable. However, car doesnt
  make sense, so it is semantically unacceptable.
  Nouns such as desk, car, and horse would
  all be syntactically acceptable but semantically
  unacceptable.

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Syntactic and semantic context are CUEING SYSTEMS.

• The reader is using surrounding words to CUE
  him as to what a word is. The reader is using
  these two system to get hints as to what word
  he should predict.
• Therefore, some texts will refer to these systems
  in the following way syntactic cueing system
  and semantic cueing system.

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GRAPHOPHONICS

• A third cueing system is called GRAPHOPHONICS.
• To use this cueing system the reader must know
  letter/sound relationships. The reader must know
  what sound the printed letters represent.
  EXAMPLE The reader must know that the letter
  b can represent the sound buh.

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Using all three cueing systems

• In the sample sentence, He saw a ___ in the
  tree., the reader could predict bird, nest,
  or kite. All are nouns (syntax) and all make
  sense (semantics). The reader must now use
  graphophonics to determine which word is the
  correct word. The reader can use the first
  letter of the word to see if the first sound of
  the print word is the same as the first sound of
  the word he is predicting.

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The three cueing systems used by readers are

• Syntactic cueing system
• Semantic cueing system
• Graphophonic cueing system

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Review before going on to Part II.

• What elements determine the meaning of a word?
• What is syntax?
• What is semantics?
• What is graphophonics?
• Why are they called cueing systems?
• Can a miscue be syntactically acceptable and
  semantically unacceptable? Explain.

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Reading Strategies, Part II

• Strategies
• Sampling
• Predicting
• Confirming
• Self Correcting

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STRATEGIES

• As good readers read, they are using a variety of
  strategies or plans to get meaning from the
  printed text. They are getting information about
  the meaning of the print by using the the cueing
  systems.
• The ways the cueing systems are actually used are
  called STRATEGIES. The major strategies (in
  teachers language) are the following sampling,
  predicting, confirming, and self-correcting.

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Sampling

• The reader searches for, finds, and uses some
  significant printed features of the text. These
  features could be some letters or some instantly
  recognized words.

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Sampling continued

• Many times the beginning letter (or letters) of
  the word is/are sampled. The reader looks at the
  beginning letter and puts a sound to the letter
  (graphophonics). Using this letter sound plus
  syntactic and semantic context clues can enable a
  reader to predict the word in print.

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Predicting

• Based on the sound of the letter(s) sampled
  (graphophonics), on syntactic and semantic
  context clues, and on background experience, the
  reader guesses or predicts what will come next in
  the print.

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Confirming

• To confirm, the reader must be aware of how
  correct the prediction was. Did the word
  predicted sound right and make sense? Did it
  start with a letter sound that matches the sound
  of the printed letter at the beginning of the
  word?
• Further sampling will let the reader know if the
  prediction resulted in meaning or not.

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Self Correcting

• If the reader found that his prediction did not
  result in establishing meaning, further searching
  and sampling is needed.
• If the word predicted did not result in the
  construction of meaning, the reader must be aware
  that this happened.

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The wording of the strategies

• In this part of Reading Strategies you learned
  the names of the strategies. The wording used
  was teacher-language.
• A young student would not benefit too much from a
  teacher saying, When you are reading, be sure to
  sample. The strategies need to be reworded so
  they are in the form a child would understand.
• They also need to be worded in a way that tells
  the student specifically what needs to be done to
  use the strategy. This will be covered in Part
  III.

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Review before going on to Part III.

• In your own words, define each of the following
• Sampling
• Predicting
• Confirming
• Self correcting
• Why do the strategies need to be worded in kid
  language?

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Reading Strategies, Part III

• Miscues
• Fix-up knowledge
• Rewording strategies to make them specific
  directives as to
• HOW to predict an unknown word
• HOW to fix-up a miscue

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Miscues

• When a reader uses one or more of the cueing
  systems incorrectly or neglects to use a cueing
  system, a MISCUE (error) can result.

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Making Miscues

• All readers, even proficient readers such as
  classroom teachers, make miscues. However, the
  mature reader will self-correct when an
  unacceptable miscue is made.
• Proficient readers tend to make miscues which are
  syntactically and semantically acceptable.

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Miscues made by proficient readers

• An example of this can be shown with the
  following example. A proficient reader read a
  sentence that said, The pupils went out to
  recess. The reader read the sentence, The
  students went out to recess. There was a miscue
  on the word pupils but the miscue was
  syntactically and semantically acceptable.

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Fix-up knowledge

• When miscues are semantically unacceptable,
  meaning is disrupted and the reader must know
  what to do to fix up predictions which were not
  confirmed.
• The reader must have the STRATEGIES necessary to
  fix up his reading so that meaning can be
  established.

• All readers make miscues,
• even advanced, mature

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Strategies in kid language

• The teacher must teach strategies which the
  student can use to fix-up miscues. The
  strategies need to be worded so the student will
  understand exactly what procedure can be followed
  in using the strategy.

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Use of Kid Language continued

• For example instead of telling the young child to
  sample the beginning of the word, the teacher
  could say, Look at the letter at the beginning
  of the word. Get your mouth ready to make the
  sound of that letter. This tells the student
  exactly what can be done to try to predict the
  word.

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Less proficient readers and miscues

• Less proficient readers are not always aware of
  the results of their own reading. They do not
  appear to self monitor as much as more proficient
  readers.
• Some less proficient readers are not able to fix
  up miscues in order to establish meaning because
  they are not aware of or able to use the fix-up
  strategies.
• Less proficient readers will make more
  syntactically and semantically unacceptable
  miscues than proficient readers.

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Responsibilities of the Teacher

• Assess for the ability to use the cueing systems
  (syntactic, semantic, and graphophonic). Miscue
  analysis and running records can be used.
• Assess for the ability to use strategies.
• Strengthen weak areas.

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Review before going on to Part IV.

• What is a miscue? What causes it to happen?
• Do proficient readers make miscues? Explain.
• Why do you think less proficient readers make
  more syntactically and semantically unacceptable
  miscues?
• When wording a strategy for a student to follow,
  what must you do with the wording of the
  strategy?

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Reading Strategies, Part IV

• Teaching the strategies
• Posters using picture icons
• Modeling by the teacher
• Questioning by the teacher
• Reminding students to use specific, appropriate
  strategies during guided reading (teaching
  points)

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What are the reading strategies readers can use
to fix up miscues? These are worded in kid
language.

• Teach the student that if they come to a word
  they dont know, they can try the following
• 1. Look at the picture.
• 2. Go back to the beginning of the sentence and
  reread.
• 3. Skip over the word and read to the end of the
  sentence.

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Fix-up strategies

• Look at the letters at the beginning of the word.
  Get your mouth ready to make that sound.
• Break the word into parts and see if you know any
  of the parts.
• Ask yourself, Does the word you predicted sound
  right?
• Ask yourself, Does the word you predicted make
  sense?

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Fix-up strategies

• Look at the letters at the end of the word.
• Look the word up in a dictionary.
• Ask a friend.

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Teaching Strategies

• Determine strategies needed by the student(s).
• Prepare the students by describing and showing
  situations in which the strategy can be used.
• Model the use of the strategy. Show how the
  strategy is used by thinking out loud as you
  apply it.

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Teaching the Use of a Strategy

• Teach a prompt the students can associate with
  the strategy. This could be a picture icon with
  a phrase. Always use the same prompt for the
  strategy.
• Display the prompts on a wall poster and/or on
  individual bookmarks, etc.
• Some information adapted from How Social and
  Emotional Learning is Infused into Academics . .
  . by Maurice J. Elias, Rutgers University. CEIC
  Review, June 2001.

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Sample of icon used to associate with a strategy

• Leap over the word and read to the end of the
  sentence. Then go back and reread.
• (The use of the frog picture icon will be
  helpful in reminding students about the use of
  the strategy.)

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Look at the samples of reading strategy posters
designed by other RDG 4250 students.
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(No Transcript)
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Help the students learn to use the strategies.

• With the young students, start with look at the
  picture, Does it sound right?, and Does it
  make sense? Dont try to do too much all at
  once.
• Remind students to use specific strategies before
  and during guided reading. Well call this a
  teaching point and well do more with this
  later.
• Continue to model the use of the strategy.

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Use questions to help them learn to use the
techniques described above.

• SYNTAX
• Did that sound right?
• Can you reread that?
• Can you say it that way?
• What is another word that might fit here?
• What word would sound right here?

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Questioning continued

• SEMANTICS
• Did that make sense?
• Look at the picture. Does it help you to know
  what the word is?
• What happened in the story when _____?
• What do you think it meant by ______?

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Questioning continued

• GRAPHOPHONICS
• Does the word you said start (end with, etc.) the
  letter you see at the beginning (end) of this
  word?
• Do you know another word that might start (end)
  with this letter and that would make more sense?
  
• Can you get your mouth ready to say that sound?

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Questioning continued

• SELF CORRECTING
• There is a difficult (or tricky) part here. Can
  you find it?
• Are you right? Could that be _____?
• Take a closer look at _______. Do you think you
  could predict a word that would make more sense?

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Continue to assess students for effective use of
the strategy.

• Use on-going assessment to make sure the students
  are using the strategies effectively.

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Review of Part IV

• Name the strategies using kid-language.
• What is the purpose of using a picture icon with
  each strategy?
• How can teachers use questions to help students
  learn to use the strategies