Module 2: Reading Reflection

"The major folklore of reading instruction relates to the "theory" that reading is considered an exact process. In other words, the reader is expected to read everything exactly as printed on the page in order to understand the message of the author. In general the consuming public, legislatures, courts and too many educators hold to this theory. It is like the theory of the world being flat during the time of Columbus." -Robert Harper and Gary Kilarr (Weaver, pg. 41).

I absolutely agree with this quote. Yes, reading is a process, however there is not an exact way of doing it. First, we must recognize that reading is not just identifying the print on a page. There is so much more involved. We have to identify the print on a page and then construct meaning from the print. Every person can make meaning using their own schema. Each one's schema is different because not every person has the same experience. We also use different contexts when we read. The whole purpose for reading is to make meaning. Just as Dr. Ritchie said in his powerpoint, readers can still make meaning of a text even if they miscue with certain words. If a reader does not read a sentence exactly how it is printed on the page, that does not mean that they have lost the meaning that the author is trying to portray. Weaver says that most readers can make more understanding of a word when it is in  context rather than being in isolation. As readers, our brain automatically knows that these words in a sentence somehow go together. So, whether we realize it or not, we are breaking down the words in each sentence and figuring out what the mean in the context of the sentence. Often times, words that we come across while reading that may be outside of our vocabulary are explained through the context of the sentence. For example, on pg. 44 of Weaver's text, she gives us this sentence: "The teacups were delicate, easily broken. So fragile that Ellen hardly dared grasp the handle." If a child does not know the meaning of the word "fragile," they can realize that the meaning is given in the previous sentence. They can use syntactic and semantic cues to figure that out. We can also miscue on the pronunciation of a word and then realize from the words after it that we pronounced it incorrectly. Take the sentences at the bottom of pg. 49 and top of pg. 50 for example. One sentence says, "I saw the tear in her eye." We might originally pronounce tear as it rhymes with dare." In this context, the true pronunciation would be tear as it rhymes with dear. Once we construct meaning of the word "dress," we know the correct pronunciation of "tear." Using context is huge and essential when we read and often times, involuntary.

I agree with the second part of the quote as well. There are too many people that hold on the theory that reading is an exact process that needs to be done in the same way for every single child. Every child has a different way to learn math or social students because every one has a different learning style. The process of reading works the same way - students learn how to read differently. Just because a student miscues words on a page does not mean that he has not gained or constructed meaning from the words.