An Introduction to Miscue Analysis

Defining Reading One Definition: “Your eyes are dancing across the page of text, and the words are being translated into a voice in your head.” Wren, Stephen. What is reading? Decoding the Jaberwocky’s song. Retrieved 1/12/06 from para. 9 para. 9 para. 9 STATE OF MICHIGAN: DEFINITION OF READING Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among the reader's existing knowledge, the information suggested by the text and the context of the reading situation. Michigan Reading Association. Retrieved 1/12 06 from NG0505.pdf NG0505.pdf NG0505.pdf

The Definition that informs Miscue Analysis Meaning is not in the words on the page. The reader constructs meaning by making inferences and interpretations. These inferences and interpretations are informed by the text, the reader and the situation.

The Text Grapho/phonic cues: Letters and their relationships to the sounds they mark. Vowel diagraphs Vowel diagraphs Diphthongs Diphthongs Cat = /k/a/t/ Cat = /k/a/t/ Etc Etc

Syntactic cues: The way words are put together in a language to form phrases, clauses, or sentences The boy sat in the chair with the broken arm. The boy sat in the chair with the broken arm. The boy with the broken arm sat in the chair. The boy with the broken arm sat in the chair.

Semantic cues: Hints based on meaning. Can you run the store? Can you run the store? Can you run in the election? Can you run in the election? Can you run in the race? Can you run in the race?

The Reader The reader brings the sum total of his linguistic knowledge to the literacy event. Decoding skills Decoding skills Past experiences both literary and in life Past experiences both literary and in life Expectations for the reading (Rosenblatt) Expectations for the reading (Rosenblatt) Experiences with reading instruction Experiences with reading instruction Etc. Etc.

The Situation Pragmatics: people use language differently in different contexts Do you comprehend better in the morning? Afternoon? Evening? Do you comprehend better in the morning? Afternoon? Evening? What is your expectation when given an article to read in a college class? What is your expectation when given an article to read in a college class? Do you read alone? In quiet places? With the radio on? Do you read alone? In quiet places? With the radio on? Etc. Etc.

Why “Miscue” and not “Mistake” Webster’s Dictionary Mistake: to blunder (to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness ) to blunder (to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness )Miscue: Cue: a signal Cue: a signal Mis-: wrongly Mis-: wrongly Miscue: Wrongly identify a signal Miscue: Wrongly identify a signal

What’s the Difference? Blunder through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness. Wrongly identify a signal. Cause?Effect?

Why is this important? If a reader is reading and “miscues” (says puppy for dog), the teacher has several choices. One: They can stop the reader and say something like, “John, look at the word you just said. What is the first letter of that word? … What word did you say? Does it start with that letter? Let’s try it again and remember the sound for the first letter…..”

Two: “John, you just said puppy for dog. Are those two words spelled the same? Let’s try it again using the correct word and try to pay more attention to the letters on the page.”

Three: Let it go until the story is over. Take the student back to the miscue and say, “John, when you came to this word (point to “dog”) on the page, you said puppy instead of dog. Can you tell me what you were thinking or why you think you might have done that?”

Which is the best choice? Let’s Talk about this !

Examples of some substitution miscues handkerchiefs handkerchiefs “Women wearing kerchiefs and shawls haggled for the best prices” “It was Mrs. Accurso who put her arm comfortably comfortingly about my mother’s shoulders.”

More complex miscues that that All fishes have streamlined bodies ^ and use to C loco- to C loco- fins ^ for locomotion.”