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Over the Shoulder Miscue analysis
What is miscue analysis?
Miscue analysis is a method of examining oral reading. It is a tool that allows us to explore why students make unexpected responses when they read. It gives us a “window on the reading process”. It gives us a way of observing readers’ control of the reading process, describing their use of language, and explaining what we hear when we listen to them read.
What is Over the shoulder (OTS) miscue analysis?
OTS miscue analysis is a tool for writing down information about the reader, his/her miscues and his/her retelling
AND it allows teachers to make notes about miscues, strategies to teach, or observations to share with the reader.
The purpose of OTS miscue analysis is to provide a teaching conversation in which students are empowered as readers and develop metacognitive awareness of their strategies and processes during reading.
The goal is to nurture reflective learners who are able to express their actions as readers.
How do you give an Over the shoulder (OTS) miscue analysis?
WITH THE STUDENT:
• Ask a student to join you in a reading conference and to bring any book he/she is currently reading
• Talk briefly about the text and complete the cover page
• Listen to the student read while looking over his/her shoulder at the text
• Complete the miscue page during reading
• Scribe the retelling and discussion after the reading on the cover page
• Select and discuss several miscues that changed meaning
• Select a strategy to introduce or review
• Celebrate what the reader has done well.
AFTER THE STUDENT HAS LEFT THE CONFERENCE
· Complete the insights page and determine graphic similarity.
What recording is required for an Over the shoulder (OTS) miscue analysis?
There are three pages of the form for the OTS: the cover page, the miscue page and the insights page.
The purposes of the cover page are: to capture and highlight the talking that takes place after the reading; to value the teacher’s insights about the reader and the decisions about the teaching points; and to convey the message that this is not about writing down all the ‘mistakes’ a reader makes.
The insights page provides the information for the teacher to determine what readers are doing well and where they need to improve.
When are the Over the shoulder OTS recording sheets completed?
BEFORE THE READING:
• Complete the top part of the cover page
DURING THE READING:
• Write down information about each miscue on the miscue page
• Make notes in the margin of any conversations or side comments that occurred during the reading
AFTER THE READING:
• On the cover page, scribe as much of the teaching conversation as possible
• On the insights page, total each column from the miscue page and record your observations about this reader
How often would an Over the Shoulder (OTS) miscue analysis be given to students?
Davenport recommends:
· an OTS conference be given once every 2-3 weeks
· the Holistic Evaluation be completed once a term
Source: Davenport, M. Ruth, (2002) Miscues not Mistakes , Reading assessment in the classroom. Heinemann, Portsmouth ,NH
Focus on reading 3-6: Using ‘Over the shoulder’ miscue analysis in the assessment of oral reading