1.5 elements of the reading process to include the use of the semantic, syntactic, graphophonic, and schematic cueing systems for active involvement and meaning making
Being an effective reader involves more than just decoding words. It involves a complex set of systems working simultaneously to allow a person to interact with the text. As a person is reading, all systems are being used to confirm if the word fits with the meaning of the text(semantic), the structure of the text(syntactic), the phonetics of the written word(graphophonics), and the situation or context of the material relating to the reader’s background knowledge (pragmatics/schematic). The reader is actively involved in using all of these systems to make meaning from the text and be an effective and efficient reader.
The first artifact I chose is a Structure Systems Handout that explains what each of these systems does and how they are used in reading. It is separated into surface structure systems and deep structure systems. Readers use surface structure systems to decode words, identify words and read fluently. Deep structure systems are used to comprehend text and make meaning. Surface structure systems and deep structure systems are used in unison for successful reading. The second artifact is a Cueing Systems Handout. This handout was helpful to me because it gave me prompts and questions to use with kids that focused on each of the systems. Asking the right question allows me to support the student in a certain area when needed. The third artifact is a response I wrote for discussion board after doing an activity called Confusabet where symbols other than the alphabet were used to tell a story in the structure of a decodable reader. Through this activity, I was able to experience what it was like to rely on each different system. When the symbols were unfamiliar, I couldn’t rely on the graphophonic system to read and as I struggled more with decoding the words, I found that the semantic system also became a struggle and I had to go back and remind myself what the previous words were to maintain comprehension. In this response, I also reflect on other similar activities that were part of this assignment. This assignment had a big impact on me because I was able to see how important each of the systems was and how difficult it was to read if one system was weak. It made me realize that students coming from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds or children who have had little exposure to books may have no resources to rely on when learning to read. It’s important for educators to be able to identify where help is needed and tailor instruction to best support the student. The last artifact is an article titled An Introduction to Whole Language Theory. I thought it was important to include this article because it clearly explains each of the systems and the role they play in reading. As I think about the process of reading and all of the things that need to be in place for successful reading, I keep finding myself coming back to this article to remind myself about the details of how it all works.
Being an effective reader involves more than just decoding words. It involves a complex set of systems working simultaneously to allow a person to interact with the text. As a person is reading, all systems are being used to confirm if the word fits with the meaning of the text(semantic), the structure of the text(syntactic), the phonetics of the written word(graphophonics), and the situation or context of the material relating to the reader’s background knowledge (pragmatics/schematic). The reader is actively involved in using all of these systems to make meaning from the text and be an effective and efficient reader.
The first artifact I chose is a Structure Systems Handout that explains what each of these systems does and how they are used in reading. It is separated into surface structure systems and deep structure systems. Readers use surface structure systems to decode words, identify words and read fluently. Deep structure systems are used to comprehend text and make meaning. Surface structure systems and deep structure systems are used in unison for successful reading. The second artifact is a Cueing Systems Handout. This handout was helpful to me because it gave me prompts and questions to use with kids that focused on each of the systems. Asking the right question allows me to support the student in a certain area when needed. The third artifact is a response I wrote for discussion board after doing an activity called Confusabet where symbols other than the alphabet were used to tell a story in the structure of a decodable reader. Through this activity, I was able to experience what it was like to rely on each different system. When the symbols were unfamiliar, I couldn’t rely on the graphophonic system to read and as I struggled more with decoding the words, I found that the semantic system also became a struggle and I had to go back and remind myself what the previous words were to maintain comprehension. In this response, I also reflect on other similar activities that were part of this assignment. This assignment had a big impact on me because I was able to see how important each of the systems was and how difficult it was to read if one system was weak. It made me realize that students coming from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds or children who have had little exposure to books may have no resources to rely on when learning to read. It’s important for educators to be able to identify where help is needed and tailor instruction to best support the student. The last artifact is an article titled An Introduction to Whole Language Theory. I thought it was important to include this article because it clearly explains each of the systems and the role they play in reading. As I think about the process of reading and all of the things that need to be in place for successful reading, I keep finding myself coming back to this article to remind myself about the details of how it all works.