Meaning, Structure and Visual

When students are learning to read, it is essential that they use all the sources of information possible in order to help them figure out what the text is. These sources are explained within the book, Catching Readers Before They Fall, and include meaning, structure and visual cues. Meaning (M), is knowledge that includes background information, context clues, and ideas gathered from pictures. More specifically, this is the strategy a student would use to figure out what the word is by focusing on what makes sense. During my observations in a first grade classroom last semester, I saw this strategy being used on multiple occasions. For example, a little boy in the class tended to focus more on sounding out the letters of words, instead of figuring out what would make sense in the particular book he was reading. When he would get a word wrong, the teacher would ask him to think about what the story was about and figure out the possible words that would actually make sense. He slowly started to use this strategy of meaning as the year went on and began using context clues in order to help him read. Structure (S), on the other hand, is when a student draws upon their knowledge of the spoken language and use that information to figure out what words sound right to them. This can also be checked by having the student read the text out loud and seeing if it makes sense to them in this way. Finally, visual (V) information, which includes the actual letters and words, can be used by students to help them see what word looks right within the text they are trying to read. I also saw this strategy being used within the first grade classroom I was in last semester. Students would often say a word that they thought made sense in the sentence without actually checking to see if it was right. The teacher solved this problem by having the students reread the sentence they just read and look at each word separately. Usually, on the second time around, they would notice the mistake and fix it using their visual strategy. 

Eventually, when students become more skilled at reading, that means that they are using the three cues (meaning, structure, and visual) simultaneously. They are looking for what words makes sense in the sentence, while paying attention to what looks and sounds right to them as well. In order for students to reach this level, the three sources of information should be modeled and practiced by the teacher in front of the class. They can also be touched on in small groups and working with students on an individual level. This way, the students become very familiar with the strategies and are fully aware of how to go about using them in their own reading and writing.