Chapters 6 & 7 Summary 1

Chapters 6 & 7 Summary

Nathan L. Tamborello

The University of Houston

Summer 2018 – CUIN 7331

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Chapter 6 of Darrell Morris’ Diagnosis and Correction of Reading Problems centres

around the prevention of reading problems “in the early grades”, which Morris uses to refer to

mostly to readers in the kindergarten through first grade levels.

Morris begins the chapter by discussing both tutoring techniques and tutoring strategies

that can be used to facilitate the furthering of younger students’ reading ability and goes on to

introduce a “toolbox” of teaching techniques and strategies that can be used, combined, adopted,

and adjusted to meet the needs of beginning readers who function at various developmental

levels.

The toolbox includes, first and foremost, the most important item in a reading instructor’s

arsenal: reading materials. These materials should be carefully levelled at different points

(kinder, preprimer 1, preprimer 2a, preprimer 3, primer, and late first) to offer children reading at

different levels a variety of reading options appropriate for their skill level.

This toolbox of teaching techniques spans four main objectives of support: support

reading, sight vocabulary, word study, and writing. Support reading encompasses the areas of

comprehension support, print-processing support, and language experience. Sight vocabulary

support utilises a word bank, which is a collection of words taken from stories that the child has

read and accumulated over their time as a reader. Word study support provides instruction in

English morphology and linguistics, with help for beginning consonants, word families (short

vowels), and short vowel patterns. Word study is focused upon moving the child from perceived

phonemes to being able to recognise and decode sounds and their meanings. Writing, Carol

Chompsky notes, is the first step in reading. Morris offers three approaches to supporting

writing: sentence writing, partner writing, and independent writing, each of which plays an early

role in reading acquisition and reading support.

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Morris continues into chapter 7 describing the correction of reading problems in the later

grades, which he deems to mean second-grade through sixth grade, which encompasses a wide

range of eclectic learners and abilities/ disabilities. Morris notes that during this stage is when

reading difficulties related to word recognition, comprehension, and fluency are often found, as

well as the stage at which dyslexia is noticeable.

Morris again utilises the instructor toolbox to describe the collection of teaching

techniques and strategies that a teacher can utilise within their classroom for correction. Again,

Morris notes firstly that reading materials are one of the most important tools: they should be

interesting and varied, with engaging stories and informational texts that spur motivation and

help struggling readers to make a concerted effort to improve.

Again, Morris outlines four teaching techniques for working with a remedial reader: word

study, comprehension, fluency, and writing. During word study support, teachers can utilise one-

syllable and two-syllable spelling patterns to aid in helping students recognise and internalise the

foundational vowel patterns to assist in word recognition. One-syllable is mostly used for lower

grade support, whilst two-syllable is for upper-elementary and middle grades for students who

have difficulty with longer, multi-syllable words. To support child comprehension, Morris states

that comprehension is not a set of skills to be mastered; rather, it is an internal process that is

individually specific, that can be exercised and expanded through quality instruction. Teachers

should facilitate the comprehension of a narrative text by asking the reader for predictions,

monitor and question what’s happening, and asking the reader to adjust predictions as they

progress using the DRTA approach. Morris suggests, however, that when reading informational

texts, the teacher guide instruction by activating a student’s prior knowledge and questioning the

importance of the text. Teachers should support fluency through easy reading, repeated readings,
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taped readings, and word work. Lastly, a teacher should support writing by having the student

write on a self-chosen topic, moving through the three phases of the writing process. The

teacher’s goal is to allow the student to become more independent as a writer.

As a certified 7-12 instructor, I will focus on the ways in which the later grades can be

helped by my instruction, rather than the earlier ones that I have no experience with. One of the

main things I utilise in my classroom is (besides reading), the support of the writing process.

Through this, I activate students’ prior knowledge by having them write texts based on

something they know and care about. This work is often better than trying to make all of the

students write about one single chosen topic, as they are able to write more and write readily on

the topic if some level of autonomy is allowed in the process.

Morris states that for older students, supporting them with your toolbox is less of a one-

on-one scenario and more of a group function. In my classroom, students are encouraged to

collaborate on their writing. In turn, they support each other’s learning and encourage the process

and acquisition of new materials along the way. More talkative and excitable students are paired

with the more shy and reserved students in order to level the field and try to encourage active

participation from everyone. Groups are often broken up into jobs and group titles to encourage

everyone in the group an equal share of work.

One of the more helpful strategies for the age group I work with is the DRTA approach to

reading comprehension. I have seen too many teachers just letting their kids read the book aloud,

blatantly not comprehending a word, and not stopping to assess comprehension or ask for

predictions. Being able to facilitate this type of discussion in a meaningful way is tantamount to

student learning, and comprehension should be approached in a variety of methods - I think of

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comprehension as a rubber band that can be worked and stretched further and further the more

you work with it.