What is the Interactive

Reading Model?
An Overview
 Definition

• Bottom-up + Top-down models

of reading.

http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/Literacy/ReferenceMaterials/GlossaryOfLiteracyTerms/WhatIsAnInteractiveReadingMode.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 student’s 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 Materials

• 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 • Background knowledge is an
important part of the
and Materials Interactive Reading Model.
Building Background Knowledge

• Using graphic organizers to

relate students’ own
experiences to the topic they
are going to read about. 

Marzano, R. J. (2004).
 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 •
•
Phonics primers
Phonics workbooks
Reading Model in • Phonics charts and posters
the Classroom… • Plentiful authentic literature

First Grade
• Students:
• 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, comprehending
and comprehension.
• Demonstrates student knowledge and meaning
through use of graphic organizers.
Interactive • Materials:
Reading Model in • Postprimers
• Postprimer workbooks
the Classroom… • Plentiful authentic literature
Third Grade • Students:
• 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:
• 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 •Materials:
Reading Model in • Plentiful authentic literature
•Students:
the Classroom… • Struggle to decode fewer words in reading.
Fifth Grade • 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:
• 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 SCHEMA-
THEORETIC VIEW
• MATHEWSON’S MODEL OF ATTITUDE
INFLUENCE
• NEW LITERACY APPROACHES
 David E.

RUMELHART MODEL 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 reader’s 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
Syntactical Semantic
Knowledge knowledge

Model of
Feature
Pattern probable
VIS extraction
device
Synthesizer interpretation

Orthographic Lexical
Knowledge Knowledge

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 the interactive-compensatory reading model
• Neither BU or TD address all areas of reading comprehension
• 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 SCHEMA-
THEORETIC 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 author’s goal can interfere with comprehension of
the main idea or point of view
MATHEWSON’S MODEL OF ATTITUDE
INFLUENCE
• Attitude toward reading may be modified by a
change in reader’s goal

• Feedback during reading may affect attitude and

motivation
MATHEWSON’S MODEL OF ATTITUDE
INFLUENCE
Attitude Towards Reading

Cognitive Affective Conative

Component Component Component

Intention to Read

Reading Behavior
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