Introduction

Reading is active. When we read, we interact with the words all the time. Our responses to what we read are based on past experiences, needs and beliefs.

Good readers use things like: meaning, grammar and phonics to understand what they read. Good readers also use their life experiences and background knowledge to predict and confirm what they read. This process happens without any conscious effort.

Less fluent readers do not use the above tools successfully. If a person has to devote all his or her energy to pronunciation or grammar, he or she will not understand what is being read.

The Directed Reading and Thinking Activity (DRTA) helps readers see the value of their experiences and knowledge as they relate to what they are reading. Readers are also able to find the purpose for reading and therefore are better able to interact and think about the text.

The purpose of this chapter of the workbook is to make instructors and tutors familiar with the DRTA so they can use it within and beyond the SARAW program. However, we recognize that some SARAW participants work independently at times, so we have attempted to use plain language principles and to direct the Background Information, Questions and Other Activities to the participants so they may use this workbook with little assistance. These three components of the DRTA are there to give you guidelines and examples of how to begin discussing a subject, what kinds of questions to ask and other activities that may be of use to learners. Please feel free to adapt and change these sections as necessary for your learners. If you need further support, please see page 37 to 39 of the SARAW Resource Manual produced by the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities.

Using The Directed Reading and Thinking Activity

1. Build Background Experience (Background Information)

• Set the scene for the lesson that follows.
• Talk about what the person already knows about the subject. (This builds confidence and moves the reader from the unknown to the known).
• Fill in any gaps the reader may have on the subject. The person need not be an authority on the subject, but if the person does not have some basic information, be sure to give it to him/her. (The more information the person has before reading the text, the more successful he/she will be)