PEARSON AND TIERNEY R/W MODEL

 Negotiation of meaning between writer and reader who both create meaning through the
text as the medium.
 Readers as composers:
"The thoughtful reader is the reader who reads as if she were a writer composing a text
yet for another reader who lives within her."
 Reader reads with the expectation that the writer has provided sufficient clues about the
meaning.
 Writer writes with the intention the reader will create meaning.
 Consider: pragmatic theories of language that every speech acts, utterance or attempt at
comprehending an utterance is an action. 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.
 Focus on the thoughtful reader with 4 interactive roles:
1) Planner- creates goal, use existing knowledge, and decides how to align with the
text.
2) Composer- searches for coherence in gaps with inferences about the relationship
within the text
3) Editor- examines his interpretations
4) Monitor- directs the other 3 roles.

Drawbacks of the Pearson and Tierney Model

 Failing to recognize author's goal can interfere with comprehension of the main idea or
point of view.
 If the reader does not possess metacognitive recognition.

How can this model be useful to a Reading Teacher?

 The reading teacher can use this method for students who are capable in utilizing their
metacognitive recognition of the text.
 The teacher can also use this method to motivate students to write generalizations,
summary or reaction based from a given text.