Tutor Information Literacy Games & Strategies

The Cueing Systems

A reluctant reader is a child for whom adults have not been able to find a good enough book

If I try to light a fire and it doesn't burn,
I may curse the matches,
I may damn the wood,
I may blame the fireplace.

But it is I that failed to produce the spark.

From: Paul Jennings, "Keep the Magic Going" Magpies No. 1 March 1990 p. 6.

Good readers integrate three cueing systems when they read. These cueing systems are Syntactics or Grammar, Semantics or Meaning, and Graphophonics or Letters and Sounds.

Grammar refers to the way that words are arranged to form sentences.

Meaning refers to making sense of the text by bringing together background knowledge, word meanings and clues from words and pictures on the page.

Letters and Sounds refers to the sounds that letters represent.

Grammar Cues relate to the structure of our language, helping us group our words for good reading. We ask, "Does it sound right?"

Meaning Cues help us tap into meaning through our knowledge and experience. We ask, "Does it make sense?"

Letter Cues involve letter sound correspondence or spelling patterns. We ask, ÒDoes it look right?"

Phonics Prompt - Does it look right?

Example:

Child reads: He jumped over the fence.
Text reads: He jumped over the gate.

You say, "That was a good try. You can jump over a fence, but does the word look like fence? What would you expect to see at the beginning of the word 'fence'?" (Child responds "f.") "Is this an "f"'? (You point to the letter "g.") "What sound does "g" make?"

Structure Prompt - Does that sound right?

Example:

Child reads: The goat eated four shoes.
Text reads: The goat ate four shoes.

You say, "Do we say, 'the goat eated'? Does that sound right? What would sound better?"

Meaning Prompt - Does that make sense?

Example:

Child reads: The horse had four bedrooms.
Text reads: The house had four bedrooms.

You say, "Does that make sense? Does a horse have bedrooms? The word starts like horse. What would make sense? Can you guess what has bedrooms?"

Here are some things that make reading (and learning to read), HARD!

1. Reading out loud. When children feel they are being tested, they often perform below their abilities.
2. Reading which has too many concepts and/or vocabulary which are too unfamiliar.
3. Reading without background knowledge.
4. Reading perfectly.

One thing that makes reading, (and learning to read), EASY.

1. Read purposefully for meaning with enjoyment.

Used by permission of Carole Urzua, Ph.D