«Understand for reading, reading for understanding». The explicit teaching of oracy and reading comprehension
Submitted by:
Fernanda L. Viana
Abstract:
According to the Simple View of Reading model (SVR, Gough & Tunmer, 1986), reading (R) is a product of decoding (D) and oral language (L). This multiplicative relation transmits the idea that both terms of the equation are absolutely necessary. Although affirming that this equation is false, because there is not a mathematical demonstration to prove it, Ramus (2015) considers that the SVR, in its simplicity, captures a very and reliable intuition about what it means to understand a text.
Research in the last decades has shown that the contribution of decoding and oral language for reading comprehension changes across school grades. In the early primary grades reading is very dependent on the decoding competencies. With the progress of schooling, decoding gets automatized, but the oral language competencies are more and more necessary to deal with the increased complexity of the texts.
If the research shows the growing importance of the oral language, from a didactical point of view the promotion of oracy development (comprehensive and productive) is not enough valued by teachers, namely when students are learning to read in their native language. By the entry of first grade of primary school, the basal language is acquired, but there is an enormous potential for linguistic growth (Sim-Sim, 1998).
The program “Understand for reading, reading for understanding” (CPL-LPC) is a program for the explicit teaching of comprehension in 2nd school grade. The main goals of this program are: to promote oracy and reading comprehension; to help children become aware about the linguistic and cognitive processes required at the different comprehension levels (literal, inferential, reorganization and critic).
The last goal was ambitious for children between 7-9 years old. In order to support the children in the management of the comprehension processes, a set of characters was created (Viana et al., 2010, http://hdl.handle.net/1822/11219, pp.247-254). These playful and appealing characters are: Vicente Inteligente (Intelligent Vicente) Gustavo Significado (Meaningfull Gustavo); Juvenal Literal (Literal Juvenal); Durval Inferencial (Inferential Durval); Conceição Reorganização (Reorganisation Conceição); Francisca Crítica (Critical Francisca ) and Glória Memória (Memory Glória). As can be inferred by their names, each character represents an important process of comprehension.
The program CPL-LPC consists of 29 sessions of 60 minutes each. A set of 29 texts was selected (17 for oracy and 12 for reading comprehension). The texts, of different types, were selected according to several linguistic and literary criteria. Each text was complemented with a set of tasks (namely questions) oriented towards the comprehension processes (process oriented questions).
The impact of the CPL-LPC was assessed through a quasi-experimental study (with pre and post-test) conducted with a sample of 90 children from 2nd primary grade. The differences between groups in the language and reading comprehension tests are statistically significant for the experimental group. For reading comprehension, only at the literal comprehension level no significant changes were registered. The characters created have proven to be extremely effective and motivational resources for supporting the process of meta-comprehension.
Key words: oracy, reading comprehension, program.
References
Gough, P., & Tunmer, W. (1986). Decoding, reading and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7(1), 6-10.
Ramus, F. (2015). Alfabetização: Que habilidades estão envolvidas. Como avaliar. In J. J. Morais & J. B. A. Oliveira (Orgs.), Alfabetização. Em que consiste. Como avaliar (pp.41-59). Brasília: Instituto Alfa e Beto.
Sim-Sim, I. (1998). O desenvolvimento da linguagem. Lisboa: Universidade Aberta.
Viana, F. L. Ribeiro, I. S., Fernandes, I., Ferreira, A., Leitão, C., Gomes, S., Mendonça, S. & Pereira, L. (2010). O ensino da compreensão leitora. Da teoria à prática pedagógica. Coimbra: Almedina. Retrieved in 18 november 2017 from: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/11219