10 Principles for Assisting Reading. 6a Scaffolding

In the last blog we discussed a typical example - when a reader makes a miscue and the meaning is lost. Another situation is when the reader stops at a word and is unable to continue.

In this situation the first thing the reading guide should do is to assist by pausing for 3 seconds to allow the reader time to process the available information from the text. This will convey the message that you are giving the reading responsibility to the reader. If the reader does not respond then give a prompt by placing your finger on the first letter of the unknown word and then run your finger along to the end of the sentence and then pause. This process models taking note of the initial letter, the overall shape of the word, and also the context of the rest of the sentence.

If the child still does not respond then give a prompt by talking about the context or any picture that may accompany the text. Once again pause for about 3 seconds. If the child still does not respond then give the reader the word and continue. There is no need to labour the process just to be exact. There will be plenty of opportunities to practice these strategies together.

10 Principles for Assisting Reading. 6. Scaffolding appropriately

In the last blog we looked at the 'pause, prompt, and praise' (positive feedback) method of assisting during a guided reading session. The question is, what sort of prompts should we provide during the supported reading?

Before we can answer this very important question we need to understand that readers sample from three cueing systems while reading. Readers look for; graphophonic cues ( look and sound of words), the syntax (word order), and the semantic content (meaning context). Information sampled from these three systems gives the reader clues to decode words and build meaning while reading. The more the reader knows about the topic the less they need to sample. In contrast, the less the reader knows about the topic the more the reader has to sample from the surface features of the text. In other words, reading is a two way process that involves the consideration of the surface features of print and the knowledge that the reader brings to the task.

If the reader makes an error and the meaning is lost the reading guide should prompt at the end of the sentence after a three second pause with a question or two. The first question might be, "Does that sound right?" This question is quite strategic as it focuses on the syntax or word order. In other words, "Does that sound like English?" the reading guide should pause again to give the novice or young reader time to process the information and to transfer the responsibility to the reader. If the child cannot correct the miscue then give another hint by saying, "Does that make sense?" This hint directs the reader to consider other clues provided by the context. This could come from the context of the sentence or from the picture, if one is provided. Then pause again. If the reader still cannot correct the error then tell him or her the word, there is no point in labouring the process, there will be plenty more opportunities to practise on other errors when they arise.

In the next blog we will look at another type of error that can be made and how to respond.