How NOT to Teach Reading: Go Back and Fix Error

I Guess Not!

Part Five of a 12-part video series showing the flaws of common word reading strategies taught in schools– Moral: Do not teach struggling readers to guess!


 

Go Back and Fix ErrorFix-up Bear Strategy

This strategy is akin to strategy #4: Does it make sense? When a sentence has been read and something doesn’t seem quite right a child is encouraged to go back to find and fix the error.  But simply getting to the end of a passage is not the goal of reading. Rather, comprehension is the goal. Comprehension is undermined when a child guesses at words rather than reading them.

It is very important for a reader to monitor their reading and self-correct if something is misread. Research has shown that most children who do a lot of guessing based on context usually guess incorrectly.  Explicitly teaching the structure of English words will empower correct word reading and mindful comprehension.

Watch the video below for an example of Fix-up Bear compared to our strategy based on structured literacy. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s ability to read, write, or spell.

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Jennifer Salisbury

In 2004, Jennifer joined Teach for America as a special educator where she taught kindergarten through fifth grade. Her passion for reading instruction led her to be trained in a program based on the Orton-Gillingham method. After achieving significant results with her students, she began conducting trainings to help strengthen other teachers’ reading instruction. “My motivation as a teacher is to share my love of learning, and my gift has been working with struggling readers. There is no better feeling than to help someone become a strong reader and independent learner.” Jennifer earned a B.A. in Global studies University of California Santa Barbara and M.S. in Special Education from Lehman College.