Reading Conversations

Book excerpt: Grades 4-12 Foreword by Dorothy Watson Miscue analysis may be the single best tool for assessing readers' difficulties. WithReading Conversations, you can take this tool to a new level, moving beyond diagnosis and into developmental strategies that involve not only teacher-student explorations of how students make meaning with texts, but also peer-led discussions. In retrospective miscue analysis (RMA) you work directly with students, engaging them in conversations about their reading miscues. RMA sessions achieve three important goals: helping you understand what readers are thinking as they read making readers more aware of their actions and thoughts during reading investing your students in the process of improving their own reading by building on their strengths. Then as your readers better understand their own strengths and weaknesses, they can take on increasing responsibility by discussing their processes with peers through collaborative retrospective miscue analysis (CRMA). Grounded in scientific research,Reading Conversationsincludes chapters on using RMA and CRMA at the elementary, middle, and high-school levels, reproducible self- and teacher-assessment forms, and testimonials and vignettes from teachers who have successfully adopted RMA and CRMA in their classrooms. Put the strategies inReading Conversationsinto practice, implement RMA in your reading instruction, and get to know students' abilities better than ever before. Then use CRMA to further invest students in their learning and watch as your struggling readers develop the skills and confidence they need to enjoy a lifetime of reading.