Cloze reading is a wonderful springboard for comprehension. When students complete a cloze passage and have the opportunity to discuss their responses, more significant growth in comprehension takes place. Students not only gain a greater understanding of the concepts introduced in the text, but they improve and expand multiple skills. These skills are five undeniable reasons why you should use cloze reading with your students.
1. Context Clues
Students use information from the text to determine the best word for the blank space, which in turn improves their thinking skills.
2. Vocabulary
Cloze gives students practice writing a new or difficult word while they also use the information they are reading to learn and commit the meaning of the word to memory. Example: A group of stars that forms a pattern is called a _____.
3. Language Skills
Students must know which verb tense or part of speech to use to complete a sentence so that it makes sense. Example: He _____ out of the plane. (jumped or jumping)
4. Knowledge
You can use cloze reading as an assessment of knowledge. Remove words that specifically test students’ knowledge, rather than words that test their understanding of parts of speech. Have students first read a complete passage. Then have students insert words in the blanks of a cloze activity to construct meaning from the text. Students, depending on level, can complete the cloze reading passage from memory or by using a list of words to choose from.
5. Fluency
Have students first read a full story without any words pulled out. Then have them complete the cloze reading activity. Finally, have students reread their completed cloze story to check for accuracy. By the end of this practice, students have read the same story three times! Fluency and comprehension are sure to soar.
Tip: When creating cloze reading passages, it is best that the words in the passage are not deleted at random. Take care to include all of the parts of speech and avoid deletions that would confuse readers. Eliminate any frustration by including a list of the words that were deleted so that students can choose from the list. Students are more likely to experience success and not become frustrated.
Try it!
Here at Remedia, we feel that cloze reading is a valuable tool! Many of our products include cloze reading activities. Try this activity <free download> from our 5W’s Fiction & Nonfiction Binder. It includes a short, nonfiction reading passage, comprehension questions, and a cloze reading activity.
Want More?
We also have entire products dedicated to cloze reading at multiple reading and skill levels.
