Dr. Darci Harland & Dr. Linda Wedwick. Reading is a language process in a written language system ReceptiveExpressive ListeningSpeaking ReadingWriting.

Dr. Darci Harland & Dr. Linda Wedwick

Reading is a language process in a written language system

Receptive Expressive

Listening Speaking

Reading Writing

Schema theory helps to explain how a reader’s background knowledge and experiences contribute to his/her understanding of what is read.

A schema is a generalized mental model which is used to organize memory, to focus attention, to interpret experience, and to codify actions.

Grow, Gerald O. (1996). "Serving the Strategic Reader: Reader Response Theory and Its Implications for the Teaching of Writing," an expanded version of a paper presented to the Qualitative Division of the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication. Atlanta, August, 1994. Available on-line at: <http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow>.

Schema arise in response to situations (e.g., the schema for starting your car comes to mind when you insert the key).

Schema shape perceptions (in the dark it is easy to mistake a bush for a bear).

Schema provide context and vocabulary for interpreting what we read. (A student moving from writing class to typography class shifts the interpretation of the word "lead" from "opening paragraph" to "spacing between lines of type.“)


Each reader brings a unique set of schema to a text, which means no two readers will construct the exact same meaning from what is read.

This does not mean that there are no shared meanings. However, shared meaning constitutes a smaller percentage than individual meaning.

"A reader comprehends a message when he/she is able to bring to mind a schema that gives a good account of the objects and events described in the message."

In some cases, this use of "schema" is what we commonly refer to as "context."


To understand even simple words (charge, fast, strike, roll), you must first know which schema to instantiate them into (i.e., what content to interpret them in). For example, contrast the meaning of "check" in the schemas for

"eating out," "paying bills," "making a list," and "playing chess."


On the next slide, you will read part of a short story about a character named Pat. The story is presented in four parts.

Number a piece of paper from one to four to record your responses.

1. Pat slowly got up from the mat, planning the escape. Pat hesitated a moment and thought. Things were not going well.

Write what you think is happening in this first part of the story. What is the story about? Support your interpretation using information from the story.

Adapted from Kucer, S. (2005). Dimensions of Literacy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

2. What was most bothersome was being held, especially since the charge had been weak. Pat considered the present situation.

Respond to this part of the story. Does your original interpretation still make sense? Do you want to change your prediction? Support your interpretation using information from the story.


3. Pat was aware that it was because of the early roughness that the penalty had been so severe—much too severe from Pat’s point of view. The situation was becoming frustrating; the pressure had been grinding for too long. Pat was being ridden unmercifully.

Respond to this part of the story. Does your interpretation still make sense? Do you want to change your prediction? Support your interpretation using information from the story.


4. Pat was getting angry now and felt it was time to make the move. Success or failure would depend on what Pat did in the next few seconds.

Respond to this part of the story. Does your interpretation still make sense? Do you want to change your prediction? Support your interpretation using information from the story.


Prediction Passage Support

Wrestler 1 On the mat; planning escape

Prisoner 1 Planning escape; mat; not going well

Pet 1 Escape; not going well; gets up from the mat

Wrestler 2 Being held; lock; timing

Prisoner 2 Being held; charge; lock; timing; charge was weak

Pet 2 Plan for escape

Wrestler 3 Penalty; roughness; pressure; ridden

Prisoner 3 Early roughness; pressure; ridden; penalty

Pet 3 Early roughness; penalty

Wrestler 4 Make a move; success or failure; timing

Prisoner 4 Angry; success or failure; time to make move

Pet 4 Time to make move


If your response was like those of other readers, you discovered a number of things about the process of comprehending:

Prior experiences of the reader exert a powerful influence on how a text is ultimately understood.

The reader’s background influences the saliency of the ideas in the text.

The building of meaning is predictive and hypothetical; it involves constant monitoring and updating of predictions.


Language Cueing Systems◦ Graphophonics◦ Syntactic◦ Semantic◦ Pragmatics

Reading Strategies◦ Initiate, sample, and select

◦ Predict and infer◦ Confirm, disconfirm, and correct

◦ Integrate◦ Terminating

In their transaction with authors of varied texts on varied subjects, readers of all ages use the same reading strategies:◦ Initiate, sample◦ Predict◦ Confirm, disconfirm, and correct◦ Integrate◦ Terminate

Instead of focusing on individual graphic items such as letters and words, readers sample and select.

The first one or two letters are typically the most important graphic cues for readers.

Within context, beginning letters, then final letters and word length, often provide readers with enough information to predict the word.

As readers sample and select information, they also predict and infer on the basis of knowledge they already have and information they select from the text.

It is not clear where one strategy ends and the other begins or if they occur simultaneously.

If the prediction is appropriate, readers confirm their predictions and continue to read.

If readers’ predictions are not confirmed by the subsequent text, they disconfirm and pursue a variety of options to create meaningful text.

The integration of the reader’s existing knowledge with information provided by the author in the written text results in the construction of meaning, the goal of reading.

The following exercises will introduce you to the role of perception, sampling and predicting, and the use of schema in the process of reading.

Perception and Beginning Letters

_nce _pon a _ime _here _as a _ittle _oy

_amed _enjamin _ho _oved _rom a _mall _arm in

_he _idwest to a _arge _partment _ouse in _ew

_ork _ity. _here _ere _ore _eople _iving in _is

_partment _ouse _han _here _ere in _he _ntire _own

_hat _as _ear _is _arm. _lthough _enjamin _id

_ot _ant to _eave _he _arm, _is _other _as _ffered

a _ob in _he _ity _hat _he _as _nable to

_efuse. _imes _ere _ough _or _armers _nd _hey

_imply _ould _ot _ake _nough _oney to _ay _ll

of _heir _ills. So, _hey _old _hat _hey _ould,

_acked up _heir _emaining _elongings, _nd _eaded

_ast.

Perception and Middle Letters

T_e lit_Ie b_y w_s sho_ked wh_n he fi_st s_w t_e

apar_ment th_t h_s mo_her h_d ren_ed dur_ng o_e of

h_r vis_ts to N_w Yo_k Ci_y. T_e apar_ment w_s on

t_e fi_th fl_or a_d t_e s_n co _Id on_y occasi_nally be

se _n thr _ugh t_e liv_ ng ro_ m win_ows. T_e apar_ment

w_s ve_y sm_ll, at le_st wh_n comp_red to the _r fa

_m ho _se. The_e w _s a ve_y ti_y kit_hen wi_h no

win_ow a_d it w_s t_o sm_ll to e_t in. Th_y h_d to p_t

the_r kit_hen ta_le in t_e liv_ng ro_m. Alth_ugh th_s

see_ed rat_er o_d to t_e b_y, th_s w_s a fai_ly com_on

thi_g peo_le d_d in t_e Ci_y. T_e bathr_om w_s ju_t

ab_ut lar_e eno_gh to tu_n aro_nd in, b_t d_d ha_e a

win_ow.

Perception and Ending Letters

Benjami_ an_ hi_ mothe_ wer_ luck_, howeve_, to be

livin_ in an elevato_ buildin_ sinc_ man_ of th_ othe_

building_ on thei_ bloc _ di_ no_ hav_ elevator_. Benjami_

especiall_ learne _ to appreciat _ th_ elevato_ whe_ he

an_ hi_ mothe_ ha_ to carr_ grocerie _ bac_ fro_ th_

grocer_ stor_. On th_ far_, th_ bo_ though_, we

ha_ a c_r in whic_ to carr_ grocerie_. The_ als_ ha_

a doo_ ma_ wh_ too_ package_ an_ mad_ sur_

uninvite_ guest_ di_ no_ invad_ thei_ privac_. Howeve_,

sinc_ the_ di_ no_ reall_ kno_ anyon_ in th_ Cit_,

surpris_ visitor_ wer_ unlikel_. In fac_, Benjami_

woul_ hav _ enjoye _ an_ visito_ sinc_ he wa_ rathe_

lonel_.

What passages were easy to read? What was hard?

What does this tell you about what readers need?

First & last letters are most important

Consonants are more important than vowels

Words are easier to remember than letters only

Phrases are easier to remember than words

Sentences are easier to remember than words/phrases

Readers use several language systems, reading strategies, and schema to construct knowledge when they read.

Proficient readers employ these systems automatically.

Struggling readers lack schema and/or are not employing one or more of the language systems and reading strategies.

Readers come to this language process with◦ Knowledge of how language works◦ Knowledge of how texts works◦ Knowledge of how the world works

The same knowledge of language and reading which readers use to read accurately also causes them to make miscues

A reader’s observed response (OR) does not match the expected response (ER).

Reading is cued by a reader’s language and personal experience.

Miscuing is not simply random, uncontrolled behavior.

Every reader miscues. Emphasis is on the quality of the miscue and with the strategies readers use.

With a partner, take turns reading a short passage aloud.

Take note of the reader’s use of strategies as they construct meaning from the text. How do they use schema, sampling, predicting, confirming, and disconfirming/correcting?

http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/curriculum/writing/elem_writing/Bib/WritingProcess.htm


http://www.csuohio.edu/writingcenter/writproc.html

Kucer, S. (2005). Dimensions of Literacy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.


Dr. Darci Harland & Dr. Linda Wedwick. Reading is a language process in a written language system ReceptiveExpressive ListeningSpeaking ReadingWriting.

Documents

strategic reader

reader response theory

use of schema

teaching of writing

qualitative division

expanded version

schema shape perceptions

unique set of schema