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 %20READING0505.pdf %20READING0505.pdf %20READING0505.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 “poem”.

The Text Grapho/phonic cues Syntactic cues Semantic cues Pragmatic cues The author’s background and linguistic skills The physical text

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 The situation The situation

The Poem Rosenblatt, L. ( 1978) The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of literary work. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press This is what happens within the transaction between the reader and the symbols on the printed page. It is a construct unique to a particular reader.

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 !

Analysis Making inferences from the miscues and the patterns and themes that develop looking at those miscue. These inferences are used to discern the strategies that the readers is, and isn’t using as they process the text. From these, teachers can develop specific lessons and more general teaching strategies for specific students