Connecting Transactional Theories of the Reading Process and Comprehensive Reading Instructional Practices

Transactional Theories of the Reading Process

During reading and learning to read, readers process language by costructing meaning using the print and their own experiences and knowledge as conditioned by their intentions, purposes, and the situational context.
Learning to read is thought to be an event where a reader's response to a text is conditioned by sound-symbol, grammatical, and meaning cues appropriate to the print, the people, the physical environment, the cultural expectations of the situation, and each individual's experience, knowledge, skills and strategies for processing text.
Readng materials should include a variety of types of books and levels to meet the needs of all children.
Children approximate the demonstrations of fluent reading and writing with significant guidance from a competent, well-prepared teacher.
Teachers and children carefully study reading materials to understand text structure, language patterns, challenges, tricky words, and other print features that may influence the ability to successfully process the print.
Mistakes are expected in learning to read and are viewed as "risk-taking" and indicators of progress among young children.
Teacher demonstrations and modeling of fluent reading and writing are integral for children to learn how to construct meaning from print that is appropriate to the text and the situational context.

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