Constructing Greater Meaning: From Think-aloud to Visual Maps

With the published guidelines of Ministry of Education on Grade 1-9 Integrated English Curriculum focusing on the training of oral skills, the challenge that English teachers most likely have to encounter is that elementary school students may not comprehend reading text fully, though equipped with letter sound decoding skills. Unlike word-for-word interpretation, reading comprehension involves a process of constructing or assigning meaning by words that learners see in text and interact with it. The reading development requires learners to activate their background knowledge and to construct meaning through a transaction with written text. Acquiring reading comprehension strategies is therefore essential to qualify elementary graders as proficient English learners. Employing strategies such as think-alouds with visual maps as an instructional tool, teachers can monitor students' progress in reading comprehension and assess students' reading achievement as well as cognitive growth. By teaching language learners to reflect on their thinking processes, elementary school students in Taiwan stand a better chance to become successful English learners.