2. The D-TRL was developed in 1991 by Michelle
Commeyras, an Assistant Professor at the University of
Georgia and an investigator at the National Reading
Research Center. She conducted research on critical
thinking.
This approach grew out of Commeyras’ exploration of
ways to infuse critical thinking into the reading instruction
while teaching sixth grade pupils. She developed a critical-
thinking reading lesson format to use with stories in basal
reader, and further developed that format for a research
study she conducted with fifth grade pupils who had
learning disorders. She called this elaborate lesson format
a Dialogical-Thinking Reading Lesson (thereafter reffered
to as D-TRL).
3. The goal of each D-TRL is to engage pupils in
reasonable reflective thinking in order to decide what
they believe about a story-specific issue. D-TRLs
encourage the pupils to return to the text to verify or
clarify information, to consider multiple interpretations,
and to evaluate the acceptability and relevance of
competing or alternative interpretations.
4. 2 Phases of D-TRL
•The Reading Phase
An important element in D-TRL is the story to be read and
discussed. It is important to select a story that lends itself to
discussion of an issue or question that can be considered
from more than one perspective and that the pupils will find
it significant or intriguing.
•The Discussion Phase
The discussion phase of each lesson consumes most of the
time because it is conceptually the most important part.
Another key element of the discussion phase is getting the
pupils to evaluate the truth and relevance of their reasons. If
all the reasons have been filtered through the teacher
judgement, the pupils will denied the opportunity to evaluate
their own thinking.
5. Drawing conclusions
At the end of each D-TRL, the pupils are always given the
opportunity to say what they believe about the central
question given all the thinking they have done on the topic.
Central to critical thinking is knowing when to withhold
judgement. It is entirely possible that even after a good
discussion some students will not feel ready to draw a
conclusion. An alternative to discussing the pupils’
conclusions is to have them write about their conclusions
and then share their written responses later.
6. The ultimate goal of D-TRLs should be for the
pupils to engage in thoughtful and in depth
discussions of their reading without the teacher
serving as discussion leader. Instead, the teacher
might participate as an equal partner or to be free
to work with another group of pupils
8. Diagnostic procedures begin with a study of the children’s
instructional needs based on the expectancies of their
chronological age, mental age, and grade placement.
The teacher seeks to discover why a pupils read as they do,
what they can read, and what the do read successfully. The
teacher needs to know if the pupils are having problems in
reading and, if so, what they are and what are their causes.
The teacher wishes to know the pupil’s general abilities and
their reading development. In short, the teacher needs to
know the strengths and weaknesses of the pupils.
9. Diagnosis is a logical process based on a consideration of all
the available data concerning a particular individual or group
of individuals.
The analysis of these data and their interpretation in the light
of knowledge gained from past experience enables the
teacher to suggest necessary developmental or remedial
measures.
10. Principle of Diagnosis
A diagnosis is always directed toward formulating
methods of improvement.
diagnosis involves far more than appraisal of reading
skills and abilities.
A diagnosis must be efficient – going as far as and no
further than necessary.
Only pertinent information should be collected and by the
most efficient means.
Whenever possible, standardized test procedures should
be used.
Informal procedures may be required when it is necessary
to expand a diagnosis.
A diagnosis should be continuous.
11. Steps in Diagnosis
1. Secure as much information as possible about the pupil
and record them on a case history bank.
2. Obtain the most accurate measure possible of the level at
which the child should be able to read.
3. Administer a standardized reading survey test.
4. Analyze the data to determine whether the child has a
reading problem.
5. A detailed analysis of the child’s reading problem is
made.
6. Collate all the data secured and interpret the results as
accurately as possible.
7. An attempt is made to identify the factors which may be
inhibiting reading progress.
8. Make appropriate recommendations for remedial therapy.
13. A study of problem readers, then, must include the reality
that classroom teachers not only are in the best position to
help students, but also are professionally responsible to
continue the education of the students as in intelligently
and efficiently as they can.
14. Characteristics of Problem Readers
1.They do not read as well as their abilities indicate they
should. They should not be judged by their reading skills
in relation to their grade levels in school, but rather in
relation to their potentials.
2.Students may be considered problem readers when, with
the exception of a specific skill deficiency, all other
measures of their reading are up to their levels of
potential.
3.Students also may be considered problem readers when,
in spite of reading skills in good relationship to their
potential, they lack the desire to read.
16. Problem readers are not only a problem to themselves
but eventually cause problems in school and at home
17. In School
In school, where students often are pressured to achieve a
certain grade level of performance, problem readers are
source of never ending disappointments. Teachers may
react by giving up on them or by feeling that they are
indifferent, lazy or troublesome. Frustration by the rejection
and the labels which they have received; problem readers
either cannot or will not work independently.
Not at all problems readers become school dropouts;
however, the strained school-pupil relationship increases
dropout possibilities. Psychological dropouts are in every
school; they generally create problems for both the teacher
and students who are there to work.
18. With Peers
Peers often treat them kindly, it is not uncommon for
problem readers to be teased and taunted. They are not
with the “in” group and are often found alone at play as
well as in the classroom. Rejection encourages them to
seek companionship with others in the “out” group. A
further complication is problem readers’ repetition of
grade, which places them one year behind their peers.
19. With Parents
Parents become anxious when their children are not
succeeding in school. They may try to solve the problem by
urging or forcing the children to make greater efforts.
Students are not blind to this shame and rejection, and they
too will look for someone to blame.
By observing problem readers, it can be concluded that
ramifications of their problems are felt not only by
themselves but also by the school, peers, and family. Their
inability to solve their own problem causes the future to
look dark indeed.
