Reading Strategies
Strategy: Cloze
Blachowicz, E. L. Z., & Fisher, P. J. L. (1996). Teaching vocabulary in all classrooms. New York: Prentice Hall.
Overview: The Cloze procedure is used to improve students' knowledge and understanding of a text. It is an important tool in teaching children to think critically as they analyze text. The first and last sentences of the passage are left in tact. Then every fifth word is deleted. Students, working individually or in groups, are asked to predict or infer the words that should fill the blanks. The strategy offers great opportunities for discussions about language and words.
Procedure:
- Select a 250–300-word passage from any curricula area.
- Beginning with the second sentence and continuing throughout the entire passage, delete every fifth word and replace it with a space. Be sure that all of the blanks are of equal length.
- Give a copy of this to the students. Have them scan the passage before they insert words in the blanks. This way, they will get clues to the gist and the topic. This can be done individually, or in small groups. It is important to remember that any suggestion that makes sense should be accepted. It is important to note if students use syntax to construct meaning, if connectors are improperly used, and to what extent prior knowledge has affected the selection of the words filling the blanks. This will drive future instruction.
- Students will reread the entire passage and discuss the information as a class or small group.
Note: Cloze can also be used as a diagnostic reading assessment so that students can be matched with the correct level of materials.
Example:
Whales live in the sea and have fins, but are not fish. They are huge mammals
____________ have learned to live ___________the water. In order __________
breathe, they must come ___________ the surface for air. _________ the top of their
__________ is a blowhole. This ___________what they use to ___________. Some
whales, such as __________blue whale, can stay __________ for more than a half
_____________ before they need to ______________for air.
Whales use __________ sounds to locate food. __________ sounds bounce onto
other animals and then back ___________the whales. The sounds ________ very
high-pitched, and humans ____________hear them. The location __________ each
echo helps ____________whales find food.
Some _____________ are toothless, and others ___________teeth. Those who have
____________ feed on shrimp, fish, ____________, and other varieties of _______
creatures. Toothless whales, such ___________ the humpbacks, have bony
______________ called baleen on their ___________ jaws. The plates have
___________ on them that catch ______________ food that the whales ________.
Some whales eat as __________ as three tons of __________ each day.
The skin ____________ a whale is tough _________ spongy. Heavy layers of ______
accumulate under the skin. ___________is called blubber and ____________ to
keep the whale ___________ in the cold ocean ___________. In the past, whales
__________ killed for the blubber, ____________ was then made into ____________ or ________
and sold.
Even though ___________ can swim anywhere in __________ ocean, they prefer to
____________ the same route year ____________ year to feed, mate, __________
breed. They like to _______ together in herds, which ____________ number to a
thousand. It is very interesting to read about whales.
Student Passage
Whales live in the sea and have fins, but are not fish. They are huge mammals that have learned to live in the water. In order to breathe, they must come to the surface for air. On the top of their head is a blowhole. This is what they use to breathe. Some whales, such as the great blue whale, can stay submerged for more than a half hour before they need to surface for air.
Whales use echolocation sounds to locate food. These sounds bounce onto other animals and then back to the whales. The sounds are very high-pitched, and humans cannot hear them. The location of each echo helps the whales find food.
Some whales are toothless and others have teeth. Those who have teeth feed on shrimp, fish, crabs, and other varieties of sea creatures. Toothless whales, such as the humpbacks, have bony plates called baleen on their upper jaws. The plates have filters on them that catch the food that the whales eat. Some whales eat as much as three tons of food each day.
The skin of a whale is tough and spongy. Heavy layers of fat accumulate under the skin. This is called blubber and helps to keep the whale warm in the cold ocean waters. In the past, whales were killed for the blubber which was then made into candles or oil and sold.
Even though whales can swim anywhere in the ocean, they prefer to follow the same route year after year to feed, mate, and breed. They like to swim together in herds, which often number to a thousand. It is interesting to read about whales.