Related Reading StrategiesRelated Reading Strategies ByBy

Puan Iris SapokPuan Iris Sapok

““It was one of the most radical It was one of the most radical discoveries Gandhi was to make discoveries Gandhi was to make

in a lifetime of in a lifetime of experimentations: In order to experimentations: In order to transform others, you have to transform others, you have to

transform yourself”.transform yourself”.

Aknath Eawaran, Aknath Eawaran, Gandhi the ManGandhi the Man

ReadingReading

Reading has always been viewed as Reading has always been viewed as essentially concerned with meaning essentially concerned with meaning “especially transfer of meaning from mind to “especially transfer of meaning from mind to mind: the transfer of message from writer to mind: the transfer of message from writer to reader”. Understanding what one reads reader”. Understanding what one reads mean comprehending meanings in the text. mean comprehending meanings in the text. This is a process of communication in This is a process of communication in reading or what Widdowson would describe reading or what Widdowson would describe as focusing “the learner’s attention to the as focusing “the learner’s attention to the value of the sentences rather than on their value of the sentences rather than on their significance” (1978:102).significance” (1978:102).

ContinuationContinuation reading is also a social act as people read to know reading is also a social act as people read to know

something something it is one way to communicate with people,it is one way to communicate with people, It is also a private cognitive process which involves a It is also a private cognitive process which involves a

reader in trying to follow and respond to a message reader in trying to follow and respond to a message from a writer who is distant in space and time,from a writer who is distant in space and time,

It is also a complex process and extensive study across It is also a complex process and extensive study across a wide range of different disciplines reflected in the a wide range of different disciplines reflected in the vast literature on reading and on teaching in the vast literature on reading and on teaching in the contexts of both mother tongue and foreign language contexts of both mother tongue and foreign language classrooms. classrooms.

Learners should be encouraged to concentrate on Learners should be encouraged to concentrate on processing meaning at discourse level and at the processing meaning at discourse level and at the discrete level of the text. Thus teachers should be discrete level of the text. Thus teachers should be sensitive to learners and to the potential of the textual sensitive to learners and to the potential of the textual display and its relationship with the phonological display and its relationship with the phonological system of language and be aware of the relevance of system of language and be aware of the relevance of background knowledge.background knowledge.

ContinuationContinuation

The ability to read is a unique process that The ability to read is a unique process that can open human eyes to the world or what is can open human eyes to the world or what is happening around them. It is an interactive happening around them. It is an interactive process because during the act of process because during the act of processing the text, readers are constantly processing the text, readers are constantly interpreting the meaning of the text. Thus, interpreting the meaning of the text. Thus, they are able to make connections, they are able to make connections, predicting outcomes, reading between the predicting outcomes, reading between the lines and seeking for explanations and lines and seeking for explanations and meanings. Reading is selective, purposeful meanings. Reading is selective, purposeful and it is carried out for various purposes and it is carried out for various purposes other than just learning the language.other than just learning the language.

Teaching ReadingTeaching Reading Teaching reading has never been easy. Teaching reading has never been easy.

While oral language seems to develop While oral language seems to develop naturally for most children, reading does naturally for most children, reading does not. In addition to the "unnaturalness" of not. In addition to the "unnaturalness" of reading for many children, reading reading for many children, reading instruction has often been at the center of instruction has often been at the center of philosophical and political debate. philosophical and political debate. Teachers, administrators, and parents Teachers, administrators, and parents have watched the pendulum swing one have watched the pendulum swing one way and then another for so long that they way and then another for so long that they are weary. However, enough is now known are weary. However, enough is now known about reading that the destructive and about reading that the destructive and often rancorous debates about how best to often rancorous debates about how best to teach it can and should be put to rest.teach it can and should be put to rest.

Three Desirable Teacher BeliefsThree Desirable Teacher Beliefs

1.1. All students, with support, can experience the All students, with support, can experience the joy, growth, and fulfillment that comes from joy, growth, and fulfillment that comes from expert literacy abilities even though the expert literacy abilities even though the number of student who avoids literacy activities number of student who avoids literacy activities is increasingis increasing. Ostosis (2000) . Ostosis (2000)

He pointed out that do we continue blaming the He pointed out that do we continue blaming the children as they deficit and lack of readiness for children as they deficit and lack of readiness for performing to school expectation or we must performing to school expectation or we must actively reconstruct our teaching methods, actively reconstruct our teaching methods, techniques and strategies approaching them. techniques and strategies approaching them. No one method, material is adequately enough No one method, material is adequately enough to achieve the needs of the children.to achieve the needs of the children.

Belief 2Belief 2

Effective reading specialist and Effective reading specialist and teachers listen to their students every teachers listen to their students every day. day.

It helps to evaluate their beliefs about It helps to evaluate their beliefs about literacy and enables the students to literacy and enables the students to realize the effects of their realize the effects of their achievement. achievement.

Teachers must reflect on their Teachers must reflect on their instructional program and alter their instructional program and alter their teaching according to their needs.teaching according to their needs.

Belief 3Belief 3 Effective reading teachers intervene on Effective reading teachers intervene on

behalf of their students and take direct behalf of their students and take direct action to help them.action to help them.

a.a. to overcome individual physical, cognitive, to overcome individual physical, cognitive, social, cultural and effective barriers to social, cultural and effective barriers to maximum reading achievements.maximum reading achievements.

b.b. they should be excited to try different they should be excited to try different strategies, methods and techniques to strategies, methods and techniques to over come struggling readers who want to over come struggling readers who want to learn.learn.

c.c. teachers should intervene on their teachers should intervene on their students to help weaker children being students to help weaker children being accepted by their peers. accepted by their peers.

d.d. Engaged and seek reader’s involvement Engaged and seek reader’s involvement in shared experiences in class. This can in shared experiences in class. This can become memorable episodes.become memorable episodes.

How can we make reading more How can we make reading more successful?successful?

Apply different strategies according Apply different strategies according to the children’s needs. Use varieties to the children’s needs. Use varieties of approaches, techniques, methods of approaches, techniques, methods and creativity.and creativity.

Integrate the four learning theories Integrate the four learning theories such as the constructivist, such as the constructivist, interactive, sociolinguistic and reader interactive, sociolinguistic and reader response theories. response theories.

Constructivist learning theoriesConstructivist learning theories Piaget (1969) described learning as the Piaget (1969) described learning as the

modification of student’s cognitive structures and modification of student’s cognitive structures and schemata, as they interact with and adapt to schemata, as they interact with and adapt to their environment. Schemata are like mental their environment. Schemata are like mental filing cabinets and information is organized with filing cabinets and information is organized with prior knowledge in the filing cabinet. Teachers prior knowledge in the filing cabinet. Teachers should engage students with experiences so that should engage students with experiences so that they modify their schemata and construct their they modify their schemata and construct their knowledge.knowledge.

Children are active learners.Children are active learners. Children relate new information to prior Children relate new information to prior

knowledge.knowledge. Children organize and integrate information in Children organize and integrate information in

schemataschemata

Interactive learning theoriesInteractive learning theories clearly stated that readers construct meaning using a clearly stated that readers construct meaning using a

combination of text-based information and reader-based combination of text-based information and reader-based information. These theories echo the importance of information. These theories echo the importance of schemata described in the constructivist theories. schemata described in the constructivist theories.

Teachers focus on reading as a comprehension process and Teachers focus on reading as a comprehension process and teach both word-identification skills and comprehension teach both word-identification skills and comprehension strategies. strategies.

The key concepts are:The key concepts are:

Students use both their prior knowledge and features in the Students use both their prior knowledge and features in the text as they read.text as they read.

Students use word-identification skills and comprehension Students use word-identification skills and comprehension strategies to understand what they read.strategies to understand what they read.

Teachers help students become fluent readers.Teachers help students become fluent readers.

The The sociolinguistic learning theorysociolinguistic learning theory

stresses the thought and language is stresses the thought and language is interrelated, social interaction is interrelated, social interaction is important in learning, teachers important in learning, teachers provide scaffolds for students and provide scaffolds for students and teachers plan instruction based on teachers plan instruction based on student’ zone of proximal student’ zone of proximal development.development.

The reader response learning The reader response learning theoriestheories

extend the constructivist theories extend the constructivist theories about schemata, and making meaning about schemata, and making meaning in the brain, not eyes. Students in the brain, not eyes. Students negotiate or create a meaning that negotiate or create a meaning that makes sense based on the words they makes sense based on the words they are reading and their own background are reading and their own background knowledge. Reader response theorists knowledge. Reader response theorists agree with Piaget that readers are agree with Piaget that readers are active and responsible for their active and responsible for their learning.learning.

StrategiesStrategies

Few examples:Few examples:

a.a. Identifying Children’s Linguistic Repertoires Identifying Children’s Linguistic Repertoires (reading conventions and concepts)(reading conventions and concepts)

Directional concepts, geometrical shape Directional concepts, geometrical shape language, class rules participation rules, picture language, class rules participation rules, picture and print knowledge, big books and oral story and print knowledge, big books and oral story reading, language charts, letter recognition reading, language charts, letter recognition knowledge, phonemic Awareness knowledge knowledge, phonemic Awareness knowledge (syllable breaks such as (syllable breaks such as kit-ten, pen-cil, neig-kit-ten, pen-cil, neig-bour-hood, 3 taps, at in cat etc).bour-hood, 3 taps, at in cat etc).

StrategiesStrategies Language storiesLanguage stories Shared book experiencesShared book experiences Directed Listening-Thinking Activity (DL-TA)Directed Listening-Thinking Activity (DL-TA) PreReading Plan ( PreReading Plan ( PREPPREP) (a strategy for developing the ) (a strategy for developing the

specific comprehension skill of activating and applying specific comprehension skill of activating and applying background knowledgebackground knowledge

QARQAR ( Question-Answer Relationship) Strategy ( Question-Answer Relationship) Strategy ReQuest (Reciprocal Questioning) strategy to develop ReQuest (Reciprocal Questioning) strategy to develop

children’s active reading comprehension purposes, children’s active reading comprehension purposes, integrate and synthesize information designed by Manzo integrate and synthesize information designed by Manzo (1969)(1969)

Reciprocal TeachingReciprocal Teaching ( a strategy for teaching ( a strategy for teaching comprehension self-monitoring skills, based on modeling comprehension self-monitoring skills, based on modeling (pridicting, question generation, clarifying and summarizing(pridicting, question generation, clarifying and summarizing

StrategiesStrategies GMA (Group Mapping Activity)-GMA (Group Mapping Activity)- based on visual based on visual

representation, through integration and synthesis of story representation, through integration and synthesis of story ideas and concepts. ideas and concepts.

Directed Reading Activity (DRA)Directed Reading Activity (DRA) primary reading primary reading programme to remove comprehension barriers by programme to remove comprehension barriers by preparing children to read, to develop word recognition, preparing children to read, to develop word recognition, comprehension skills, guided reading through selected text comprehension skills, guided reading through selected text in elementary school years. It relies on teachers’ basal in elementary school years. It relies on teachers’ basal guide. Eg: shared reading, one-to-one tutorial (reading guide. Eg: shared reading, one-to-one tutorial (reading recovery) paired reading, guided reading, phonic reading recovery) paired reading, guided reading, phonic reading etc.etc.

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA)Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA) – for higher – for higher level thinking children’s story text. Children exchange ideas level thinking children’s story text. Children exchange ideas about the stories from the text.about the stories from the text.

Teaching Reading Teaching Reading vocabulary instruction in contentvocabulary instruction in content

Step 1:Step 1: Identify the new vocabulary Identify the new vocabulary

Step 2:Step 2: establish meaningful story establish meaningful story

Step 3:Step 3: Introducing new wordsIntroducing new words

Step 4:Step 4: evaluating vocabulary knowledgeevaluating vocabulary knowledge

How to do it? ExampleHow to do it? Example

Preview the story or material to be read, and Preview the story or material to be read, and select four or five words to be taughtselect four or five words to be taught

Write the words in text sentences on the Write the words in text sentences on the chalkboard or chart (list the words on the board chalkboard or chart (list the words on the board with locational information)with locational information)

Read the sentences aloud, and ask students to Read the sentences aloud, and ask students to speculate on the word meanings.speculate on the word meanings.

Record the children’s ideas on the boardRecord the children’s ideas on the board Arrive at an-agreed upon class definition of each Arrive at an-agreed upon class definition of each

word (check a dictionary/glossary if necessary).word (check a dictionary/glossary if necessary).

Eg. Story reading and SharingEg. Story reading and Sharing Select and examine the books in advance. How will you Select and examine the books in advance. How will you

present it? What stops point will you use?present it? What stops point will you use? Practice using the expression when you read so that your Practice using the expression when you read so that your

voice fits the dialogue and characters.voice fits the dialogue and characters. Use pacing to emphasize suspenseful parts and build the Use pacing to emphasize suspenseful parts and build the

mental interest as the story progressesmental interest as the story progresses Slow down your reading presentation. Think of the mental Slow down your reading presentation. Think of the mental

images you are creating in the minds of the children images you are creating in the minds of the children through the language of the story.through the language of the story.

Be sure that all children are seated comfortably and can Be sure that all children are seated comfortably and can see the storybook pictures that you are sharing.see the storybook pictures that you are sharing.

Use a storytelling aids to heighten interest. Eg. A small toy, Use a storytelling aids to heighten interest. Eg. A small toy, puppets or anything related to the story.puppets or anything related to the story.

Help children to understand the book. Introduce the writers, Help children to understand the book. Introduce the writers, illustrators or publishers.illustrators or publishers.

Use questioning strategies to encourage children to interact Use questioning strategies to encourage children to interact with the story content or following the story.with the story content or following the story.

Create an atmosphere of informality and enjoyment for Create an atmosphere of informality and enjoyment for children during book sharing time.children during book sharing time.

Few examples reading activitiesFew examples reading activities Mind- mapping Mind- mapping Picture governed story attempts (plot or story sequence)Picture governed story attempts (plot or story sequence) Identifying words Identifying words Story mapStory map JournalsJournals Spelling & dictationSpelling & dictation Concept webConcept web Semantic mapsSemantic maps Semantic feature analysis eg. Pets, feelings, house, weather, Semantic feature analysis eg. Pets, feelings, house, weather,

colour etccolour etc Cut and pasteCut and paste Synopsis of the material/textSynopsis of the material/text Role play/simulation/discussionRole play/simulation/discussion Developing simple words, phrases and simple sentencesDeveloping simple words, phrases and simple sentences diariesdiaries etcetc

ConclusionConclusion

EvaluationEvaluation Group work presentationGroup work presentation Individual presentationIndividual presentation Get the students to present their Get the students to present their

work to build up their confidence.work to build up their confidence.