Module 4 – Instructional Challenge

Marcus is a student who very frequently miscues by substituting words that start with the same letter or first few letters of the word in the text, but his substitutions often are not syntactically or semantically acceptable (they neither sound right grammatically nor make sense). What possible teaching strategies would you suggest to help Marcus?

        After reading Weaver’s chapter ten, I referred back to her section “Matching Instruction to Readers’ Varied Needs” to identify some strategies that would help Marcus. I was drawn to the “reader doesn’t seem to know that reading should make sense” section. I see that Marcus often miscues and his errors are not syntactically or semantically acceptable which also leads me to believe that he might “sound out a lot of words and settles for words that don’t fit the context, or for non-words” (Weaver, 2002, p. 244).

        I would suggest that Marcus’ teacher use a variety of teaching strategies to build his reading skills. I think Marcus would benefit from previewing a book or using a “picture walk” before reading texts. Predicting the book and “reading” the pictures allows the reader to have their mind ready to read that specific text. This will bring up any discussions about the pictures used throughout the text. Also, previewing a text allows Marcus to preview some vocabulary that he might encounter while reading the text aloud to the teacher.
        I would also have Marcus read the book individually as well as with a buddy. He can build his confidence as a reader when reading with a buddy. Also, the buddy can assist Marcus if he encounters trouble with the text. Partner reading allows students to discuss the book after every few pages and gain more comprehension which is the overall goal of reading. Partner reading could be during a sustained time of reading where Marcus can engage in high interest texts while building his reading skills.
        Finally, I would incorporate the use of voice recording and “Retrospective Miscue Analysis” within Marcus’ reading. Marcus could use a tape recorder to listen to texts but also to record his own readings. If Marcus could hear himself read, I think he might pay more attention to the text so it would make sense. The teacher could comment on his miscues by asking him if it made sense and why or why not. Also, the teacher could guide Marcus to reread the same text but remind him to focus on the literal meaning. I think through the use of the above strategies, Marcus would begin to comprehend what he reads. I also believe these strategies would allow Marcus to monitor his comprehension better and to mentally fix his miscues using context clues.