5.4 Formulación del Proceso de Aplicación de la Propuesta
5.04.04 Manuales de Funciones
5.04.04.05 Formato Manual de Función
Procedure
1. Explain to the students that they are going to read 100 words from a text chosen by the teacher in order to assess if the level of the text is appropriate for them. Students who make less than five errors can read
independently; between five and ten errors indicates that this is a good level for developing reading skills; more that ten errors indicates that the teacher will need to give the student guidance.
2. As the student reads, the teacher uses the 100 word grid to mark each box, either with a tick, for correct reading, or a dot, for incorrect reading of a word. Self-corrections are counted as correct.
3. If using a copy of the text, the teacher can record on it any words wrongly read, self- corrected or supplied.
4. When you have filled each box on the grid, 100 words have been read. Count the number of errors.
5. Assess the accuracy level and decide if the text suits the purpose you have for reading. This technique can be used to assess whether the text which the teacher wants to use can be read by the students.
In this case, conduct the procedure with a representative sample of reader ability from the class.
Keep in mind whether the text will be used for independent work (most students need to reach above 95% accuracy), for learning to work out words (90-95% accuracy), or with a lot of support (see Using textbooks with students who cannot read them (page 76)). Keep in mind that dependent readers need practice on instructional level text if their reading is to improve.
Helpful hints:
• Do not rely on reading accuracy alone as an indicator of reading comprehension. Some students (especially ESL students) can decode quite fluently but have little idea of the meaning of the text.
Section 4
100 word grids
Name: ……… Text: ……… Date: ……… Text: ……… Date: ……… Text: ……… Date: ……… Text: ……… Date: ……… Text: ……… Date: ………Purpose
To verbally model the thinking process of comprehension.
Description
Teachers verbalise what is going on in their mind as they read and how they attempt to solve problems in their reading.
Preparation
1. Select a passage to read aloud containing vocabulary unfamiliar to the students and significant subject content. It is helpful for each student to have a copy of this passage. Read through the thinking processes below so that you will be able to illustrate one or more of them from the passage.
2. Thinking processes
Making predictions (developing hypothesis)
“From the title I think that this section will tell how fishermen used to catch whales”. “In this next part I think …”
Decoding (working out how to say the word)
“How do I say this word? I can make it easier by taking off the -ing at the end. I can say the word syllable by syllable”
Describing (developing images, the picture you are forming in your head from the
information) “I have a picture of this scene in
my mind. The car is on a dark, narrow road; there are no other cars around”
Making analogies (linking prior knowledge to
new information in the text) “Soil profiles
remind me of a side view of a sandwich, especially one with two or three fillings”
Verbalising (monitoring ongoing
comprehension, is this making sense?) “This is
different from what I expected”
Monitoring understanding (correcting
comprehension) “I’d better reread, I didn’t quite
understand that sentence”.
Think aloud reading
“I wonder if I can figure out the meaning of this word from the next few sentences. I might need to use the dictionary or glossary.”
Materials
Passage to read; copies of passage for students; cards or OHTs of the thinking processes.
Implementation
• Read the passage aloud and then stop at an appropriate point to model a thinking process (see 2. above) which you wish to introduce. Say aloud to the students the thinking that is going on in your mind • Continue reading the passage until you
locate another example of the same concept and then repeat the first step
• Invite students to participate at suitable points in the text
• After several modelling and sharing experiences, students can work with
partners to practise “thinking through a text aloud” and then share how they solved problems with the class.
Example
Model exactly what you are thinking and how you are making sense of the text: “I remember the word ‘hydrotherapy’ by thinking of ‘hydro- electricity’. In fact there are lots of words with ‘hydro’ in them that all have to do with water...hydroponics, hydrophobia, hydrogen (an element of water).”
Variation
Other features of text can also be demonstrated through the think aloud technique, e.g.
spelling, punctuation, grammar. Examples: The use of pronouns in a text on The Water Cycle (ELLA ’98), the use of action verbs as commands (“bossy words”) in procedures. Helpful hints:
• Cards or OHTs can be made of each concept: Make predictions, Decode, Describe, etc. • Keep demonstrations short and to the point.