Lea Mcgee, the Ohio State University When Learning to Look at Print Is Difficult

Lea McGee, The Ohio State University When Learning to Look at Print is Difficult Texts children read:

Looking Down Fun with Mo and Toots

I can see my grandfather. I like to draw monsters.

He is sweeping the sidewalk./

I can see my cat.

She is chasing the leaves./

Father Bear Goes Fishing

Father Bear went fishing.

He went down to the river./

“Fish!” shouted Father Bear./

“Fish, fish, fish!”

Early learning to look at print and integrating with meaning and structure

1. If gross visual discrepancies not monitored, direct demonstration for prompt: Something

doesn’t look right

2. If gross visual discrepancies not monitored on known words, prompt “a word you know

tricked you. Try that again.” 3. If gross visual discrepancies not monitored on known words, and not found after prompt,

direct teaching of word again, establish routine for next day “check up”

4. To reduce gross visual discrepancies not monitored on known words, daily 3 ways to mask

words, when not known, direct teaching of word again, and next day “check up”

5. If gross visual discrepancies not monitored on unknown words, prompt “something doesn’t

look right” with a slow check and integrate meaning with visual

6. If inventing text (modified from pg 17), write sentence from text on strip pointing out what

the child knows and can attend to in the print, have child read strip, cut it up if needed, and

have child reassemble

7. If child cannot use a slow check to determine accuracy of attempt, direct demonstration of a

slow check on strip; call for the slow check independently from the child for confirming, you

check it for yourself

8. Always draw attention to using BOTH the print and the meaning/structure: (this word) has

to look right AND it has to be in the story (point to illustration) to emphasize

Later using visual and integrating visual with meaning and structure

1. Continue to use prompt something didn’t look right, you got most of the word but some

parts don’t look right. After solving words (hunting for hungry), do some word work after

the text is read

2. If substituting known words with similar beginnings, put words on word cards and do a slow

reveal (you can only read the word when you see the whole word). Get in the habit of

seeing the whole word not just the first part.