ICCT COLLEGES FOUNDATION INC.

V.V. Soliven Ave. Cainta, Rizal

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
(COED)

Name: Marvie H. Alarcon

Section: A75

Schedule: TTHS (8-9pm)

Subject Code: ENGL222
Top-Down Theory

Reading is the process between the reader and the text. Which he and she needs to use their

knowledge to build, to create and construct the meaning. You put yourself in the text to understand

what you read for you to know the words that given, what the messages tell to the reader. By reading

we enhance our vocabulary and analytic skills, we exposes to more words and ideas within a context

that provides meaning and proper use. Not only does regular reading help make you smarter, but it can

actually increase your brain. Reading regularly improves memory function by giving your brain a good

work out. We build our vocabulary in both oral and written language through this we encounter new

words and new uses of it through our reading and listening.

Kenneth Goodman is the professor Emeritus, Language, Reading, and Culture college of

Education in the University of Arizona. His research earned some awards from NCTE, IRA, NCR, and

NCRL. He is also the President of IRA, NCR, NCRLL and center for expansion of language and

thinking. He published 150 articles and books, he also wrote Hen Goodman on Reading and Phonics

Phacts. Kenneth S. Goodman at early 1990s he began studying the reading of authentic text. He

published ‘’Reading: a Psycholinguistic Guessing game ‘’ (1967) the most known in reading research.

His theory whole language movement was developed by Yetta Goodman, Regie Routman, Frank Smith

and others.

One of my reaction to what I discussed during my report in front of my classmates is very

nervous but I show to them I am strong to stand and start my topic and say to them what my

knowledge, what I know and what I read in the books and the internet to help to deliver this things .

The prior knowledge that had bring me to the reality and the near to my topic to become my report
perfect and understand by the listeners I introduce my topic through motivation to have purpose to have

idea on my going to discussed . Debate is my first come up to my mind why, because I know through

their schema and information that they had they can use it to win. Which you prepare for to have teeth

or have hair? They use their analytic skills and higher order thinking skills to answer my question, it

big help to me to start my topic about top-down Theory. I give the example of the picture and asked

them, do you know him? They answered Goodman at some points they remembered the topic last

meeting that also involve the name of that person it is all about the reading that related to my topic also.

The reading models of Kenneth S. Goodman , new to our ears because this theory was I

encountered when I’m first year college in Filipino subject, my teacher differentiate the meaning of this

two theory that help to the learner during they read the books. We had a prior knowledge about to my

topic which is the top-down model of Goodman before I know that this is came from the brain then

through the text but now during my reading in books, search in computer, the knowledge of what I had

gain a lot of new meaning. The top down reading model is based on the philosophy that the brain and

reader are at the center of understanding and succeeding. This method argues that readers bring an

understanding to the print, not print to the reader. In other words, the experiences as a reader help him

or her to read, decode, and make sense of text. Top-down models ask readers to construct meaning

from text; this knowledge is made from the whole (text) to the part (words). This model does not focus

on phonics and decoding, but instead, allows children opportunities to read 'real' books and make sense

of them. Finally, the top-down method utilizes making sense of grammar and text clues to figure out

unknown words.

I feel the same way when I was 7 years old my step mother teach me and guide me to learned

the alphabet letters and know the numbers, it’s hard for me to learn some word that not familiar to me

even I went in province school but the teaching there different in manila. Adjustment is the way to

improve my vocabulary, I always read the books to help me to progress by the help of my mother, she

get the hanger and put to my side because every time my word is wrong you know what happened to

you that’s a reason why I become sensitive when I’m reading. When the books are new to my eyes and

my ears I’m interesting to read it to know who is the author and what the message to the readers to

have overview, the books have different category either it is horror, comedy, about love and others.

Reading not only has tremendous power when it comes to fueling the development of all aspects of

language ability, its importance to the entirety of a human life in this day and age really can’t be

overstated. When you read the books use your prior knowledge and construct the meaning of the text
 each words for me to understand the first sentence and for that I can summarize it without turned the

pages to the first page.

‘’We can’t force the students to read’’ Like what my professor told us during my discussion to

this topic, the children read if he or she wants. We can see the difference if the students when ready to

learn, ready to read and ready to gain. It’s not easy to bring them in the war without a weapon and not

prepared to meet what they need to know. Those children are need the step by step teaching, you can’t

jump the next step if you are in kinder and your topic is for grade 2, there’s a confusion and

misunderstanding between the children. Be careful of what you teach, it bring them into their mind

until they grow and because of you this child put in tragic that’s the reason to give up and bully by

others.

It is not enough to get students to simply know the word they see, understand its general

meaning and know how to pronounce it if reading aloud. The goal of the top-down reading theory is

to get students to become active readers. Active readers have increased comprehension skills and larger

vocabularies and are more capable of engaging in abstract and logical thought Active readers have

meaningful engagement with the text. A large reason for this is that active readers tend to pursue texts

in which they are interested. Rather than simply being able to read the words off an exercise page that

is presented to them, top-down readers learn by reading actual texts that they choose and begin to

decode with the help of a teacher.

I conclude that reading is importance for us to know what happen to our world and help us to

improve our vocabulary. Kenneth Goodman and his theory share his knowledge to the readers, Top-

down reading model through the mind to the text he help us in comes of reading, to construct the

meaning of words and understand the text of what we read for. Read in read because through this you

gain more knowledge and ideas that you can forget to be able to help you during your studying, think

and ponder you get your problem solving. Parents and Teacher have responsibility and to care and to

teach her children to mold them in society in all people around them and communicate them in

everyday living.

Resources

 System for Adult Basic Education Support: Skilled Reading: Top-Down, Bottom-Up
 U.S. Department of Education: Coordinating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Strategies for Educational Reform