Fix-Up Strategies
1. Reread - Rereading can include rereading a sentence, a paragraph, or selectively going back to an earlier part of the text to resolve a misunderstanding. Rereading usually needs to be done at a slower rate.
2. Read Ahead, Then Come Back - Sometimes the clunk cannot be resolved by going back. Possibly the author hasn’t revealed enough information (intentionally or unintentionally). Skilled readers note the unresolved problem and read ahead to get additional information. They can then go back and see if they solved the problem. 3. Adjust Reading Rate - If the reader notices that the material is easy and familiar and “clicking” along, reading rate can be increased. Conversely, when the reader is noticing comprehension problems, the reading rate needs to be slowed down. 4. Reflect on, or Revisit the Purpose for Reading - When students are reading lengthy passages, they sometimes lose their focus. When this happens, it is helpful to think about the purpose for reading. Was it to find specific information? Was it to answer a specific question? 5. Access or Re-access Graphic Support - Content texts, such as science or social studies usually contain considerable graphic support. This support consists of pictures, drawings, charts, tables, and diagrams. Students often do not use these to aid comprehension. Some students even report ignoring the graphic support to shorten their reading. It is important to model how using graphic support will not only increase comprehension, but may expedite, rather than slow down the reading. 6. Periodically Check for Understanding - Skilled readers are reflective. They pause in their reading to reflect on the on- going development of meaning. They consider what is happening in the story or try to make connections to new content. They also make predictions and confirm previous predictions. Other ways to check for understanding are: self-talk, paraphrasing, summarizing, and retelling. 7. Use Context - Another fix-up strategy, linked to re-reading, is using context. It involves re- reading some portion of text to re-access clues or information contained in the text. Often students lack versatility in this area. They may only be skilled in one type of context. Teachers can broaden their students’ context skills by providing direct instruction with the forms of context. 8. Employ Decoding Skills - At times, a comprehension problem may be caused by an inability to decode a word. Context clues may be insufficient and the word could be crucial to the understanding of the selection. There are many decoding strategies available to students. A brief description follows. A. Having an Independent Word Attack System - This is a personal strategy applied when a reader comes to a difficult word. A basic type involves four steps: 1. Think of a word that makes sense. 2. See if it’s correct by looking at the parts of the word. 3. Read back or read ahead for more clues. 4. Get help (human or print). These steps incorporate the three cueing systems. Steps 1 and 3 relate to context, while step 2 uses decoding skills. B. Get Your Mouth Ready - This technique helps students decode words by having them focus on how they would position their mouth, lips, and tongue to say the initial sound of the word. If the word was - macadamia - the student would look at the first letter and close their lips to begin making the /m/ sound. C. Word Parts - Similar to decoding by analogy, this strategy uses prefixes, root words, and suffixes to decode. If the unknown word was [unmovable], a reader would isolate the root word [move], then look at [un] remembering that -un reverses the meaning of what follows, and then looks at the suffix [able]. D. Decoding by Analogy - Decoding by analogy is related to the second step above, “look for a part you know.” It is a decoding method that uses knowledge of known words or word parts to decode unknown words. (2003, MPT) |
*Fix-up strategies: bookmark and explanation of bookmark. There is also a T-chart which students can use to keep track of the strategies they've tried.
The visual strategies above may seem elementary but the as teachers, we understand that some of our high school students come in with elementary reading levels. Not all high school students will need this type of decoding strategy for new words, but some will. And we need to be able to reach each kid at their level, so use this strategy or visual aid for your most struggling readers.
For other learners, I would recommend focusing more on context clues, which are a form of inference. This is a tricky concept for most students so start with the basics. Last, but not least, helping students with prefixes, roots, and suffixes are a great way to help them decode. Decide which students are ready to move on to this more advanced form of decoding. Kelly Gallagher's 30-15-10 list is a great place to start.
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