What is the

Interactive Reading
Model?
An Overview

Definition
Bottom-up + Top-down
models of reading.

http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/Literacy/ReferenceMaterials/GlossaryOfLiteracyTerms/WhatIsAnInteractiveRe
adingMode.htm

Core Concepts of the

Interactive Reading Model
It focuses on the belief that what motivates a student
to read is important.
A reader is more likely to retain knowledge of the
material they are reading if they have an interest in
what they are reading.
A students attitude toward reading is important, and a
way to help students have a positive attitude toward
reading is to allow them to pick topics of reading that
interest them.
(Ruddell & Unrau, 1994)

Highly Qualified Teachers

What does a teacher of the Interactive Reading Model looks like?

A teacher of the interactive reading

model

Does not teach in the sense of transferring knowledge to the

pupil;

Engages the student in a collaborative process of inquiry and

self improvement

Models through action and allows the student to discover

answers for himself or herself.

(Ruddell & Unrau, 1994, p. 1489)

Influential teachers
Use clearly formulated instructional
strategies that embody focused goals,
plans, and monitoring feedback
Possess in-depth knowledge of reading,
literacy processes and content
knowledge; understands how to teach
these effectively
Tap internal student motivation
Are warm, caring, and flexible
Are concerned about their students as
individuals.
(Ruddell & Unrau, 1994, p. 1489)

Materials and Curriculum

What is needed in a classroom using the Interactive Reading
Model?

Materials & Curriculum

Materia
ls

Plenty of interesting texts which people are

highly motivated to read.
A phonics or syllable-based primer with
lessons linked to meaningful texts (optional).
A teachers' guide listing the sounds or
syllables to be taught (optional).

http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/Literacy/ImplementALiteracyProgram/InteractiveInstructionalProgra.htm
Marzano, R. J. (2004).

Materials and
Curriculum

Using trade books and reading levels,

teachers can also set up a book club
environment called Literature Circles.

Daniels, H. (2002).

Curriculum
and
Materials

Building Background Knowledge

Marzano, R. J. (2004).

Background knowledge
is an important part of
the Interactive Reading
Model.
Using graphic
organizers to relate
students own
experiences to the topic
they are going to read
about.

Materials &
Curriculum
Reading Readiness
Language experience
activities or themes
Shared reading experiences
Primer lessons (optional)

http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/Literacy/ImplementALiteracyProgram/InteractiveInstructionalProgra.htm

Interactive Reading
Model in the
Classroom
What does the Interactive Reading Model look like in the
classroom?

 Materials:

Interactive
Reading Model in
the Classroom

Phonics primers
Phonics workbooks
Phonics charts and posters
Plentiful authentic literature

Students:

First Grade

Struggle to decode words in oral

reading.
Re-read sentences after decoding
unknown words to assist with fluency
and comprehension.
Practice correct letter formation
through writing activities
Writing activities based on language
experiences

Teachers:
Access prior knowledge of students
before shared reading.
Draw attention to concepts of print,
phonics elements
Monitors students for correct holding
of pencils, proper book handling,

Interactive
Reading Model in
the Classroom

Materials:
Postprimers
Postprimer workbooks
Plentiful authentic literature

Students:

Third Grade

Struggle to decode fewer words in reading.

Begin word study by examining roots and
affixes.
Writing activities based upon language
experiences.
Participate in Writing Workshop
Begin to create their own graphic
organizers.
Amount of independent reading time is
increased.

Teachers:
Access prior knowledge of students before
shared reading.
Read aloud fewer picture books than in
previous grades. Instead read more
chapter books.

Classroom:

Interactive
Reading Model in
the Classroom

Materials:
Plentiful authentic literature

Students:
Struggle to decode fewer words in reading.
Continued word study by examining roots and
affixes.
Writing activities based upon language experiences.
Continue to create their own graphic organizers.
Amount of independent reading time is increased.
May participate in literature circles.

Teachers:

Fifth Grade

Access prior knowledge of students before shared

reading.
Read aloud fewer picture books than in previous
grades. Instead read more chapter books.
Supervise literature circles.
Conduct writing workshops.

Classroom:
Whole class or small group sharing of meaning
making. Meaning making changes as students
share and interact with each other, the teacher, and
the text.

Interactive Models
RUMELHART MODEL
STANOVICH MODEL
ANDERSON & PEARSON SCHEMATHEORETIC VIEW
MATHEWSONS MODEL OF ATTITUDE
INFLUENCE
NEW LITERACY APPROACHES

RUMELHART MODEL

David E.
Rumelhart

Successful reading is both a perceptual and a

cognitive process
Stresses the influence of various sources namely
feature extraction, orthographic knowledge, lexical
knowledge, syntactic knowledge and semantic
knowledge on the text processing and the readers
interpretation.
Incorporates a mechanism labeled as the
message centre, which holds the information and
then redirects them as needed.
This mechanism allows the sources of knowledge
to interact with each other and thereby enable
higher-level processing to influence lower-level
processing.

RUMELHART MODEL
Syntactica
l
Knowledg
e

VIS

Feature
extractio
n device

Orthographic
Knowledge

Semantic
knowledg
e

Pattern
Synthesiz
er

Model of
probable
interpretatio
n

Lexical
Knowledg
e

Once a Feature Extraction Device has operated on the Visual Information Store, it passes
the data to a Pattern Synthesizer which receives input from Syntactical, Semantic, Lexical
and Orthographic Knowledge, all operating at the same point.

Keith E.
Stanovich

STANOVICH MODEL
Stanovich
introduced
reading model
Neither BU or
comprehension

TD

the
address

interactive-compensatory
all

areas

of

reading

But the interactive-compensatory taps into the strengths

of both BU and TD
Says that readers rely on both BU and TD processes
simultaneously and alternatively depending on the
reading purpose, motivation, schema and knowledge of
the subject

STANOVICH MODEL
Incorporates the compensatory mode to his model with
the interaction between the top-down and bottom-up
processing.
The compensatory mode enables the reader to, at any
level compensate for his or her deficiencies at any other
level (Samuels and Kamil, 1988: 32).
This model has enabled researchers to theorize how good
and poor readers approach a text.

STANOVICH MODEL
If there is a deficiency at an early print-analysis stage
(BU), higher order knowledge structures (TD) will
attempt to compensate.
For the poor reader, who may be both inaccurate and
slow at word recognition but who has knowledge of the
text-topic, TD processing may allow for this
compensation
E.g. A beginning reader who is weak at decoding reads
this and do not know the word emerald.
The jeweler put the green emerald in the ring
He will still understand the meaning of the sentence
because he may use context and knowledge of gems to
decide what the word is

STANOVICH MODEL
States that if one of the processors (i.e, orthographic,
lexical, syntactic and semantic) fails, other processors will
facilitate comprehension
For example in a cloze vocabulary exercises:

Beagles, Retriever, Spaniels, as well as other

____ of dogs are favorite canines for hunting
enthusiast.
The lexical information is absent, but students
would guess the word breeds or types, since
syntactic and semantic cues compensate for the
absent processors

ANDERSON & PEARSON SCHEMATHEORETIC VIEW

Focus on the role of schemata, knowledge stored in

memory, in text comprehension
Comprehension = interaction between old & new
information
Schema Theory: Already known general ideas subsume
& anchor new information
Include: a) info about the relationships among the
components, b) role of inference & c) reliance on
knowledge of the content, + abstract & general
schemata.

P. David
Pearson

PEARSON & TIERNEY R/W MODEL

Reading is an act of composing rather than recitation or
regurgitation
Context is important
Knowing why something was said is as crucial to interpreting the
message as knowing what was said

Failing to recognize authors goal can interfere with

comprehension of the main idea or point of view

MATHEWSONS MODEL OF ATTITUDE

INFLUENCE
Attitude toward reading may be modified by a
change in readers goal
Feedback during reading may affect attitude and
motivation

MATHEWSONS MODEL OF ATTITUDE

INFLUENCE
Attitude Towards Reading
Cognitive
Componen
t

Affective
Component

Intention to Read

Reading Behavior

Conative
Component

NEW LITERACY APPROACHES

Emphasize
on
multiple
literacies
embedded in social & societal contexts
Reading should not be treated as an
isolated activity
Reading must account for socially &
culturally events & the associated literacy
acts