Retrospective miscue analysis : a positive approach
Lisa Marlene Wright · UNI ScholarWorks (University of Northern Iowa) · 2004
Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA) is an assessment and instructional tool that can be used in strengthening reading strategies, comprehension development, and positive reader self-concept. This paper discusses RMA's theoretical background and ways it empowers teachers and students, raises reader self-esteem, and teaches reading strategies such as self-correcting, re-reading and listening for syntactical and semantic cues. Next, I discuss the RMA process, which includes recording the reading session, producing a type script with all of the participants' miscues, as well as a separate script that has only the miscues to be discussed with the reader, marking the miscue analysis sheet, recording the discussion of the reading with the participant, and recording the reader's responses to the selected miscues. Some modifications to the process were made, which is not uncommon. Third, I describe my recent experiences in using RMA with two readers-one adult, and one junior high student. Both readers improved in the areas of comprehension and use of the self-correction strategy. Both participants were also encouraged to listen for disruptions in semantic and syntactical cues. This proved to be a challenge, especially for the student participant, though some progress was made. Miscues appeared to increase in quality as the sessions progressed. Specific transcriptions of interactions with participants are shown. Fourth, I discuss strengths of RMA according to the literature and how they relate to my own experience with my participants. Both participants demonstrated and increase in self correcting and re-reading strategies, listening for syntactical and semantic cues, comprehension, and positive reader self concept. Last, I discuss my exploration of 1 Retrospective Miscue Analysis: A Positive Approach ways to extend RMA, which I believe addresses current concerns with assessment teaching of phonemic awareness and vocabulary development.